THE SRI PRISTANA SCANDAL

PART I - CALLOUS AND UNCARING

DON'T PAY TAXES IF MINISTRY FAILS TO ACT, NON-MUSLIMS TOLD

A MIC leader suggested that non-Muslims stop paying taxes if the Education Ministry fails to act against the school authorities who allegedly made their non-Muslim students eat in a shower room during Ramadan. "This is ridiculous!" said party strategy director S Vell Paari in a statement. "Is this what the children of non-Muslims have been reduced to? Having to hide in washrooms to eat." "To be honest, I am at a loss for words. The future of this country appears bleak and I fear for the future of our children which such school authorities and teachers around," he added. EVell Paari called on the Education Ministry to launch an immediate probe and act against those responsible. "It should not simply be a slap on the wrist, such as transferring the teacher or teachers responsible," he said. Failing which, Vell Paari suggested that non-Muslims refrain from paying taxes. "Our tax money is used to pay the salaries of the civil service and if this is the kind of people (civil servants) we get, then we might as well stop paying," he said. Photographs emerged online allegedly showing non-Muslim students of SK Seri Pristina in Sungai Buloh being made to eat in a shower room during fasting month. The photographs were supposedly uploaded on Facebook by a parent. It is alleged that school authorities made the students eat in the makeshift room, located next to the toilets. No food is believed to be served in the canteen, which is said to be closed during Ramadan. Miba: This violates the constitution Also condemning the move, Malaysian Indian Business Association (Miba) president P Sivakumar said such actions, if true, went against the teachings of Islam itself. "What about the rights of people of other faiths, which are protected by the constitution?" he asked. Sivakumar said there were also cases were certain restaurants refused to serve food to nonMuslim patrons. "Fasting is an individual thing between the person and God... it should not be an excuse to hurt the feelings of others. And this applies to all religions," he added. As far as the school was concerned, Sivakumar said the authorities action had violated the constitution. "This is ridiculous situation, we live in a multiracial and multi-religious country. An investigation must be done and action must be taken.

"We can't just be taking about reforms, things need to change. All those who harp on religious issues and stoke the flames of racism must grow up," he added. WargaAman: 1Malaysia goes to the toilet A coalition of Indian NGOs also criticised the school, describing the latest incident as another glaring example of disrespect towards non-Muslims. WargaAman secretary-general S Barathidasan said these incidents occur because the civil servants had no fear. "They know that the government would not take action and this would be just another case in a long list of similar cases. What we need is firm action to send a message across that such things would not be tolerated," he added. Taking a swipe at Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 1Malaysia slogan, Barathidasan said that in the latest case, "1Malaysia had literally gone to the toilet." Furthermore, he asked why should non-Muslim children be punished just because their Muslim schoolmates were fasting. "What kind of divisive message are we sowing in these young minds. We are not animals, we are human beings, why must our children eat under such deplorable conditions," he said. Barathidasan said WargaAman would be visiting the school tomorrow to demand an explanation from the principal. School claims makeshift canteen used by all In an immediate response on Twitter, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said the school had been instructed to change the location of the temporary eating room. The MIC leader and Hulu Selangor MP added that the ministry had requested for an investigation into the matter. "If the canteen is under renovation, a proper place should have been identified; surely not the changing room. It is not the right thing to do. The school could have appointed a temporary canteen operator to run the operations during Ramadan," he said. Meanwhile, the school claimed that the shower room had been used as a "canteen" since March this year due to "space constraints" in the canteen proper. S Yogendran, the special officer to Kamalanathan, said that SK Seri Pristina's principal had informed him that the canteen was not large enough to accommodate the students. However, he did not provide an explanation as to why the canteen was not used during the Ramadan fasting month despite space availability, referring the issue to the deputy minister.

Police receive 18 reports on meals-in-toilet issue

JULY 26, 2013

KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 The police have received 18 reports from members of the public, parents, teachers and staff of SK Seri Pristana in Saujana Utama, Sungai Buloh here, regarding the issue of the makeshift canteen in the school.

Sungai Buloh police chief Supt Junaidi Bujang said most of the reports stated that it was wrong for the schools headmaster to ask non-Muslim pupils to eat in the schools changing room during recess. Two of the reports were lodged by the teacher and the clerk at the school, he told Bernama here today. He said three reports were lodged soon after the picture of the pupils eating in the changing room was captured and circulated over the Internet, 10 others were lodged the following day, four yesterday and one more report was lodged today at the Saujana Utama police station. Junaidi said the reports were classified as intimidation reports and were being investigated. It was reported that 28 non-Muslim pupils in the school were ordered to eat their meals during recess in the makeshift canteen in the changing room during the Ramadan month. Yesterday, the schools headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor, also lodged a police report on a death threat he received concerning the issue. Bernama

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/police-receive18-reports-on-meals-in-toilet-issue#sthash.fRNJHkcn.dpuf

What has become of our national schools? MCCBCHST

The Malaysian Consultative Council for Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) notes the various media hightighting the fact that in SK Seri Pristana, Sungei Buloh, non-Muslim chlldren have been forced to eat in the shower/toilet

during their break or recess in the holy month of Ramadan. The excuse provided by the school about 'renovations', has obviously been rejected by the authorities themselves who have stated they will take action. The MCCBCHST is shocked that such clearly discriminatory and cruel action is perpetrate mistakenly in the name of lslamic scruples. In addition, the MCCBCHST wishes to point out the following: What message does this send to our children who are Muslims and non-Muslims? That in the name of religion, injustice and discrimination are meted out and obviously justified to these children. Malaysian must ask where is the sense of righteous, basic human decency and moral values, when we allow such indiscrimination. Former Law Minister Zaid lbrahim has aptly described this fiasco as..... "(Promoted by politicians and lslamic ) they have invaded the public space and filled the minds of the people with so much indoctrinal nonsense that some Malays and Muslims have forgotten basic human decency and moral values in their interpersonal relationalship with other'' (Malaysia Chronicle 24/7/2013 'Stand up for your rights' -Zaid) Are we helping to raise Malaysians who are bigots, with a misunderstanding of what is required by their religion, and others who inadvertently but logically, then develop a resentment towards lslam? The ramifications for how we enable ALL of the future generations of Malaysians to live together without animosity, are enormous. Non-Muslim children have the right to eat in their normal place for such a purpose: the canteen. While of course, the Muslim children need not be present in the canteen, which exists solely for the purpose of pupils buying and consuming food safely and hygienically during their Break/Recess. The issue is serious, and we wonder if it has been going on for some time, and in various parts of Malaysia. How many more schools practise such discrimination in this country, with the Ministry of Education (MOE) let alone the State education departments UNAWARE of such treatment of children? lt is not enough for ONE such school to have been exposed, and then dealt with by the MOE. Therefore the MCCBCHST demands that a firmly-worded circular is sent out IMMEDIATELY by Ministry of Education to ALL schools in Malaysia to discontinue such a practise if it is being implemented in any form. Urgency is of utmost importance. * The Malaysian Consultative Council of Buddhism, Christianity, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) is a non-profit interfaith organization in Malaysia. Formed in 1983, it is composed primarily of officials from the main non-Muslim faith communities in

Malaysia and acts as a consultative and liaison body towards more open dialogue and co-operation.

When truth is spoken, life is threatened

YOURSAY 'In Malaysia when the truth is spoken, you get death threats. As expected, the 1Malaysia champion will not open his mouth over this issue.' Mum who exposed 'shower canteen' gets kidnap threats Onyourtoes: We are a hopeless nation. Any fundamental problem we encounter, the first thing we do is to deny. Then we think of a strategy to divert, confuse or deflect attention. Then we try to shoot the messengers. We are a depraved nation to the core - starting with our spineless, cowardly and gutless politicians who are there just to preserve and protect their positions and perks. The depravity is blatant and shameless. And we are all still waiting for a clear explanation on why this incident in SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh happened. If no clear explanation is forthcoming, what inference then can one make from this if not that it was due to race and religion? AngryBird: In Malaysia when the truth is spoken, you get death threats. It is really sad. As expected, the 1Malaysia champion will not open his mouth over this issue. Old Timer: If only the PM would take action, and say something to stop all this nonsense, then things would not blow up. Chipmunk: The PM is too busy entertaining VVIPs so that he can ensure his wife has enough money for shopping. Where has he got time for this? And the DPM is Malay first rather than Malaysian first. So, if the head is not straight, how would one expect to get the tail straight? And now Malay right-wing pressure group Perkasa is trying to whitewash the whole incident by being colour-blind. I have got one thing to say, podah. Anonymous #22878930: Malaysians of all faiths must stand together and denounce any threat to the well-being of the child. The police must take preemptive measures and be proactive and track these goons down and put them away. Raja Chulan: Guneswari Kelly, the mother who uploaded the pictures of schoolkids having their meals in the shower room, must rightly be praised for her civic duty.

Yes, different people see this incident differently. But whether it involves Muslim or non-Muslim children, whether it is during the puasa' month or not, having to eat in a shower room is disgusting. The person in charge, ie. the headmaster, who made that decision is clearly wrong. Period. The subsequent action, statement and antics of the headmaster, including giving lame and irrelevant excuses such as not enough space, renovation works, that eating in the shower room is indeed healthy and clean, that he and his teachers broke fast in the shower room just to prove his point, making police reports of death threats, going on voluntary leave, seeking support on Facebook, etc, are akin to the Malay proverb "cuba menegakkan benang yang basah". Swipenter: Guneswari was puzzled by the move of a blogger to post a photograph of Muslim teachers breaking their fast in the shower room canteen'. "What are the teachers trying to prove?" she asked. "The children had to eat there every day." The answer is very obvious, and it is a very ugly and frightening one. Mayvbwell: The answer in my opinion is simple, instead of an apology, the incompetent ones with attitude problems always believe that others are as incompetent as they are and easily be fooled. Isn't this act (teachers breaking their fast in the shower room) akin to adding insult to injury? It will sound better if the headmaster of the school and the PTA (Parents Teachers Association) chairperson moves the teachers' dining room to this shower room and let the students eat in the teachers' dining room instead. Anonymous #07521476: Is it right or wrong to make students eat in the shower room? If it was a wrong decision by the headmaster and PTA, just issue an apology publicly. Is it that difficult to do? This would have put out the fire fast. It looks like the headmaster does not feel it is wrong because he brings other teachers to eat in the changing room. What values is he trying to show to others? Fair and Open: If the Muslim teachers can have their meals in the shower from now on (permanently), only then they can justify their stand. Otherwise, they are not qualified to be teachers. Oo!oo: I suggest Guneswari transfer her child out of the school because these teachers are all sick psychos and they will not be able to take on such blame. These are very immature people and will not be able to see who they are

themselves, except to justify the school's action and not bothering to read between the lines of what's happening in school and in the society as a whole. It happens to so many people across all races and this is the weakness of the tidak apa' (never mind) attitude, and being made use of a million times over to the benefit of Umno and its servants. Anonyxyz: When you have teachers ganging up to justify something that they should be ashamed to be associated with, it is proof that we as a country has only one direction to go - down. We have reached a no-return situation when racial events become so distinctly defended or condemned depending on which race you belong. Mohamad Abdul Malik: "As a mother, I am in tears and sadness. How many times do they need to run...? Dear Malay friends, is this fair to you? Does your Allah allow this?" Guneswari asked. She has not only turned it into a racial issue but a religious issue as well. Her actions will only invite a similar reaction from other parties. What has the headmaster's action got to do with Allah? Sometimes one accuses others of being racists without realising that they themselves are no different. Ferdtan: Mohamad Abdul Malik, you say that "What has the headmaster's action got to do with Allah?" I don't want to say more, just one question though - do you think (honestly in your heart) that the eating in the shower by the non-Muslims was due to the unavailability of the canteen as it was allegedly under renovation of the canteen and not because it was the puasa' month that the non-Muslim students were not to be seen eating openly? If you think that was so (which I doubt from the various different responses from the authorities), then you are right to think that way. If not, isn't puasa' religious? Chee Hoe Siew: This is the result of spreading Umno's version of Islamic morals. You can perform any sinful acts and no one will take action against you as long as you claim the victim's action has hurt or humiliated Islam. Kadaram: This is Malaysia - when the truth is spoken, one's life is threatened.

Putrajaya to defend Seri Pristana headmaster if not guilty, says Ku Nan

BY KIMBERLY YEO JULY 27, 2013 LATEST UPDATE: JULY 27, 2013 09:41 PM

Federal Territories Minister Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor mingling with residents during the breaking of fast organised by the ministry today. The Malaysian Insider pic by Afif Abd Halim Putrajaya will defend Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor, who moved his non-Muslim pupils to the schools shower room for recess, if the SK Seri Pristana headmaster is not guilty of wrongdoing, Datuk Seri Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor said tonight. The Federal Territories Minister blamed the opposition for distorting the SK Seri Pristana canteen issue by putting the blame on the school authorities and the education ministry. The headmaster wants to protect the students from being exposed to the sun, so he purposely put the students in the shower room, Tengku Adnan told a press conference after breaking fast in Kuala Lumpur today. The Sungai Buloh primary school had recently come under fire when a picture of non-Muslim students eating in a shower room went viral on Facebook. The newly-appointed Federal Territories Umno liaison chief said he will work hard to improve the performance of Umno and Barisan National (BN) in Kepong to restore

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the glory of the party's leadership. He said he would be helping the party to regain the lost seats from the opposition, namely Segambut, Bandar Tun Razak, Wangsa Maju and Lembah Pantai. He added that Umno should find out the cause of BN's defeat in these seats in the last general election and understand the needs of the people. "It is time for the party to talk with the public in order to win back the people's trust. "It does not matter which race, we should go house to house, and to every village so that they will continue to support us," he said. During the breaking-of-fast at the Amaniah mosque in Kepong, Tengku Adnan made a contribution of RM10,000 to the mosque for the upgrading of its facilities and RM100 along with a pair of clothes to married couples in the low-income group in the area. - July 27, 2013.

School need not tell everything to parents, says Seri Pristana PTA chief
BY Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY J ULY 26, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 26, 2013 10: 05 PM

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NonMuslim students of SK Seri Pristana were allowed to eat at their canteen back again yesterday. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, July 25, 2013.In

an about turn, SK Seri Pristana Parent-

Teacher Association (PTA) president Hussein Mohd Ariff said the school authorities had the right to decide on the makeshift canteen without informing the school children's parents. He also admitted today the majority of parents were not told that the shower room was going to be made an extension of the canteen. "The school has the right to choose what it wants to disclose to the parents and this includes the decision to open up the shower room as a makeshift canteen," Hussein told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur today. "It is not up to us to meddle with the school administration. We are there to support and raise funds for their programmes." In an earlier interview, Hussein told The Malaysian Insider that the parents were informed, at a PTA meeting, of the school's decision to use the shower room. He had said school headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor made the announcement and sought feedback from parents. Hussein had said that since there were no objections raised by the parents, the school went ahead with the plan which took effect in March.

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"We believe the school authorities studied all available options before doing this. "It is not so much about getting permission from parents but whether it is in accordance with the school's guidelines. We believe that the school did this purely in the best interest of the pupils," Hussein said. He also refuted allegations of a cover-up by the school or the PTA. "I am the one who is caught in between, whether I should have informed the parents. "There were no complaints or grouses from the parents until the matter was blown up. Now I have to react," Hussein said. He also said he could not recall if the headmaster has announced in detail at the PTA meeting the plan to use the shower room as a canteen. On the issue of the canteen being closed during the fasting month, Hussein said that it was up to the canteen operator as it involves operational costs. "However, the school and the District Education Department will have to be notified if the canteen is closed for the fasting month." The school was put in the spotlight after photographs of non-Muslim pupils eating in the shower room began circulating in Facebook. Parents kicked up a storm while the school claimed that the shower room which was used as the canteen was under renovation. This prompted a visit to the school by Deputy Minister of Education and Higher Learning P. Kamalanathan who had said that the "issue has been resolved" with the headmaster issuing an apology. - July 26, 2013.
SIDE VIEWS

Naming the three elephants in Seri Peristina - Rama Ramanathan

J ULY 27, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 28, 2013 03: 00 AM

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One Indians response to Art and Zaid was the title I gave my previous post about the Seri Pristina primary school. Finding the right title is not easy. Instead of Indian, I could have said Neighbour, because that is how I try to identify myself in every situation. Instead of Neighbour, I could have said Christian, because my focus on being a good neighbour is rooted in my acceptance of the most fundamental Christian teaching: Love the Lord your God with all your heart and soul and mind, and love your neighbour as yourself. Instead of Christian, I could have said Engineer, because I am obsessed with meaningful work and efficiency: I am unable to accept waste, whether of money or space or time. [See for example my essay When doctors walk with their patients.] Instead of Engineer, I could have said Malaysian, because its cool to talk about a new race, Bangsa Malaysia, like a Phoenix risen from the ashes of racism. However, I chose to say Indian. Let me tell you why. I chose to say Indian because I challenge the racist view that all people of the same ethnicity think the same way about everything. People of the same ethnicity DO NOT think the same way. That is why there are opposing views even in countries with superficially homogeneous populations, e.g. Indonesia, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand: unlike Malaysia and Singapore, none of these countries have been ruled by the same party since liberation. Why shouldnt I say that Im an Indian? I grew up speaking Tamil, one of the dominant languages in India.

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I grew up with many friends whose mothers didnt cook thosai and chicken curry. I grew up in a neighbourhood where someones radio was always blaring Indian songs. I live in a country whose constitution was the result of bartering between groups who were at the table because they claimed to represent different races. I live in a country whose natural resources were exploited through racial selection. I live in a country which classifies me as an Indian and treats me like one. Can I not be an Indian and a good neighbour? Can I not be an Indian and accept punishment at the hands of a Chinese teacher? Can I not be an Indian and accept that a Malay headmaster could have been acting in the best interests of his school? I identified myself as an Indian because I wanted to focus on one of three elephants in the Seri Pristina changing room. This is how The Phrase Finder defines elephant in the room: An important and obvious topic, which everyone present is aware of, but which isn't discussed, as such discussion is considered to be uncomfortable. Elephant # 1: Sensitized Indian. Any Malaysian looking at photos of the Seri Pristina changing room recognises an obvious and uncomfortable fact: it seems to involve only Indians. The issue was raised by an Indian; Indians rushed to condemn the school; Indian political parties and NGOs joined the fray. One of the elephants in the room is Sensitized Indian. Elephant # 2: Coercive Malay. Art Harun pointed out another obvious and uncomfortable fact: the assumption that every Muslim student will fast every day of Ramadan. Art reminded us that not long ago many Muslim students didnt fast until they were in year 5. Art didnt say it, but for Seri Pristina, this could mean up to 400 non-fasting Muslim students in each session. A second elephant in the room is Coercive Malay. (We also recall that some Muslim students and teachers may not be able to fast, e.g. for health reasons, ritual impurity, etc. and therefore need a place to eat quietly.)

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Elephant # 3: Resigned Chinese. Art and Zaid pointed out yet another obvious and uncomfortable fact: many Chinese have abandoned public schools. Instead of challenging religiosity in public schools, they have reverted to Chinese schools which are devoid of religious elements. They thus avoid dialogue and avoid frequent public vilification by the likes of Perkasa. A third elephant in the room is Resigned Chinese [I could not make out any Chinese students in the photos. To-date, Ive not seen complaints from any parents about schools "compelling" children to fast.] When I looked at photos of those who came to the school to register their protests, I noticed most of them were Indians, members of my community. Therefore I chose to view the incident from the perspective of a good Indian neighbour. I could just as easily view the incident from the perspective of an engineer or manager. As an engineer I could say that for the canteen business to be viable, there must be a certain minimum number of students likely to eat at the canteen. As a manager I could say that idle labour is a managerial nightmare and thus to be avoided! Leaving aside contractual agreements, the reality is that none of us would want to operate a food outlet if there are few customers. We also would not like to see food prepared and then wasted. I repeat: leaving aside contractual agreements. Whether or not the canteen business was operating or should operate during Ramadan is important, but I think is not a key point. I think the key points are (1) whether there were sound reasons to bar everyone from using the public areas of the canteen building; (2) whether Malays/Muslims have also used the changing room as a place to eat; (3) whether this was intended to apply only during the month of Ramadan. (I will leave aside the deeper issue of limited capacity of the canteen building.)

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Having said that, I hope many will view Seri Pristina as an invitation to speak about the elephants in the room. Id like to speak about the Sensitive Indian. Why are Indians so sensitive? The reasons are many, not the least of which are poverty, historical forgetfulness and the suppression of Indians by other Indians. Stay tuned. * Rama Ramanathan reads The Malaysian Insider.

Kerajaan akan bela guru besar SK Seri Pristana, kata Ku Nan

OLEH HASBULLAH AW ANG CHI K J ULY 27, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 28, 2013 04: 33 AM

Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor semasa upacara berbuka puasa di Masjid Amaniah hari ini. Gambar The Malaysian Insider oleh Afif Abd Halim

Guru besar SK Seri Pristana Mohamad Nasir Mohd Nor bakal mendapat pembelaan daripada kerajaan sekiranya jelas terbukti beliau tidak bersalah dalam isu membenarkan pelajar bukan Islam sekolah berkenaan menikmati makanan pada waktu rehat di bilik persalinan, kata Tengku Adnan Tengku Mansor.

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Menteri Wilayah Persekutuan itu berkata isu SK Seri Pristana diputar belitkan pihak pembangkang bagi menunjukkan kerajaan bersalah dalam isu tersebut. Guru besar tersebut memang sengaja meletakkan pelajar sekolah itu menikmati makanan pada waktu rehat di bilik persalinan bagi melindungi pelajar daripada terdedah kepada sinaran matahari. Pihak pembangkang telah memutar-belit perihal sebenar yang berlaku di sekolah berkenaan dengan menyalahkan pihak sekolah dan kementerian, ujar beliau semasa satu sidang media sempena majlis berbuka puasa di Kuala Lumpur. - 27 Julai, 2013.

Perkasa-Perinbam bertelagah isu SK Pristina

K Pragalath | July 27, 2013

Ini ekoran tindakan Naib Presiden Perkasa mempertahan tindakan Guru Besar sekolah itu yang tidak membenarkan pelajarnya duduk di tepi longkang.

KUALA LUMPUR: Tercetus perbalahan kecil di antara anggota Pertubuhan Pribumi Perkasa Malaysia (Perkasa) dan ahli Persatuan India Baru Amal dan Kebajikan India (Perinbam) di sini semalam. Peristiwa ini berlaku sebaik sahaja selesai berlangsungnya majlis menandatangani piagam-piagam sebuah pertubuhan baru yang dikenali sebagai Majlis NGO Antara Kaum Malaysia (Mirac).

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Insiden kecil ini berlaku ekoran tindakan Naib Presiden Perkasa Datuk Zulkifli Noordin mempertahan tindakan Guru Besar Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Pristina, Sungai Buloh yang tidak membenarkan para pelajarnya duduk di tepi longkang. Sambil mengecam pihak-pihak yang mengapi-apikan isu ini, Zulkifli berkata, guru tersebut bukan menyuruh mereka duduk di tepi longkang tetapi beliau menyuruh para pelajar duduk di bilik persalinan. Penggunaan perkataan tepi longkang walau bagaimanapun menyebabkan sebilangan ahli Perinbam tidak berpuas hati. Namun begitu, Zulkifli yang juga bekas ahli parlimen Kulim-Bandar Baharu itu tetap tidak berganjak dari kenyataannya. Keadaan ini membuat seorang ahli Perinbam naik berang sambil berkata, mana boleh dia guna perkataan tepi longkang. Saya tahu apa yang berlaku di sana. Saya tidak akan berdiam diri macam MIC. Kita akan suarakan apa yang kita rasa. Berunding Pertelagahan kecil itu cepat-cepat memaksa Presiden Perkasa Datuk Ibrahim Ali dan Perinbam, V Thamotharan duduk berunding bagi meredakan suasana yang agak tegang itu. Ketika dimajukan soalan oleh pihak media mengenai perkara ini, Ibrahim dan Thamotharan cuba mengelak dari mengulas lanjut kejadian itu. Ini hanya merupakan perbezaan pendapat di antara kawan, kata Thamotharan, sambil dijawab oleh Ibrahim: Ia hanya pendirian peribadi mereka. Insiden yang berlaku di SK Pristina di mana para pelajar bukan Islam disuruh makan dan minum di bilik persalinan yang terletak bersebelahan dengan tandas menjadi tajuk berita akhbar dan dilaporkan dalam laman-laman web. Guru Besar sekolah tersebut sekarang sedang bercuti selama seminggu setelah Timbalan Menteri Pendidikan II, P Kamalanathan melawat sekolah tersebut kelmarin. Mirac dianggotai oleh Perkasa, Perinbam dan Persatuan Cina New Era (Percisama).
Updated: Saturday July 27, 2013 MYT 2:30:16 PM

Vel Paari protection offer, a relief for Seri Pristana whistleblower after kidnap, death threats
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BY ELI ZABET H ZACHARI AH AND DI Y ANA I BRAHI M J ULY 27, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 27, 2013 11: 11 PM

The whistleblower who had exposed the case of students being made to eat in a shower room has expressed her relief after MIC strategic director S. Vel Paari had vowed to protect her and her family from further harassment. "I am very grateful for the concern shown by him and others who have understood and supported me at this time," Guneswari Kelly told The Malaysian Insider today. Claiming that her intentions were misunderstood, Guneswari pointed out that she had merely tried to voice her concern about the cleanliness of the shower room and the health of the students who ate there. "I am sorry that it was blown out of proportion by so many parties. I did not have an ulterior motive for posting that picture," she added. She, however, refused to comment on whether or not she had lodged a police report over the threats she had received. "I am unwell now and under pressure. Please understand," she said. In a previous report, Guneswari, whose daughter attends SK Seri Pristana, told The Malaysian Insider that she had been receiving threats to both their lives, which includes kidnapping and locking up both herself and her daughter. She had earlier posted a picture of non-Muslim students being made to eat in the shower room, which went viral. The photo sparked a huge outcry among parents and the public, forcing the Education Ministry to step in to resolve the issue. Many argued that the issue was not racial but was putting the health of the students at risk by making them eat in an unhygenic location. Meanwhile, Vel Paari is threatening to publish the phone numbers of the people who have called up Guneswari to harass and threaten her. The party's strategic director said he has spoken to the woman and asked her to hand him the numbers. "I will advertise the phone numbers in Tamil Nesan, which enjoys a daily readership of 150,000. "We'll see how they would like being harassed and threatened," he added.

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The MIC man lashed out at the school teachers and authorities, revealing that Guneswari's daughter was being victimised in school by her teachers since the issue blew up earlier this week. "They, apparently, have been telling the child that she has brought disrespect to the school and is being picked on. "I have advised the mother to wait it out for a little while to see if the abuses persists and if it does, I will get the ministry involved and call for action to be taken against the teachers. He pointed out that the teachers were not being professional in the matter and were causing psychological distress to the student who had done nothing wrong. "This is a form of bullying and action must be taken against these people for causing so much pain to the same girl whom they were supposed to educate. "Instead of getting angry that students are eating in an unsanitary place, people are hurling abuses and threats at both mother and daughter. "It is unacceptable," Vel Paari said. - July 27, 2013.

Lodge police report if you received death threats on school canteen issue
BY LUWITA HANA RANDHAWA

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan.

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PETALING JAYA Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan has advised anyone in the SK Seri Pristina school canteen issue who has received a death threats to lodge a police report. "Whoever has received a death threat, it is most important to go to the police straightaway," Kamalanathan said to reporters at the Readers are Leaders Oratorical Contest 2013 at Universiti Malaya on Saturday. This follows reports that headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor, who has taken voluntary one-week's leave, received death threats and filed a police report on Thursday. Further investigation into the issue would be conducted by the Education Ministry, added Kamalanathan. "I visited the school as I was concerned about the students' situation. My role was to find an immediate solution to the problem and ensure that the temporary canteen was closed," he said. The school canteen reopened on Thursday afternoon following a visit by Kamalanathan to the school the day before, and the Education Ministry is likely to allocate funds for the primary school to extend the canteen to accommodate its 1,300 pupils.

Perkasa defends headmaster, demands action

July 27, 2013

The NGO claimed the issue has been "distorted and coated with lies".

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KUALA LUMPUR: Malay right-wing nongovernmental organisation, Perkasa wants the authorities to act against individuals who politicised the recent issue over pupils eating recess meals at a changing room of a school in Sungai Buloh. Its vice-president Zulkifli Noordin said certain quarters had taken advantage of the situation to slander the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Nor, by branding him as a racist who forced non-Malay pupils to eat in the toilet. Clearly, the matter has been distorted and coated with lies when the truth is that the school has a small canteen that can only accommodate 600 pupils. The decision (to use the changing room) was made following a discussion between the teachers and the parent-teacher association, and the headmaster was only implementing the decision, he said at a news conference to announce the formation of the Malaysian Inter-Racial NGO Council (Mirac), here. Zulkifli expressed Perkasas support to defend Mohamad Nasir. Meanwhile, chairman of the MIC Youth Education Bureau, P. Punithan, in a statement, urged all quarters not to turn the matter into a racial issue, saying it could undermine the existing racial unity. Bernama

The missing golden rule in Seri Pristana school fiasco Stephen Ng

JULY 27, 2013

JULY 27 The lack of sensitivity towards others is the root cause of the Seri Pristana school fiasco.

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I fully agree with Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan and what he has to say about the role of the parent-teacher association (PTA). It is obvious that the current PTA president, Hussein Mohd Ariff, does not fully understand the role that the PTA plays. Mohamed Rafick has given the worst-case scenario, where he suggested that the teachers canteen should have been moved into the washroom. I nearly burst out into laughter when I read his suggestion, but he has an important point that has not crossed the minds of the teachers, the headmaster and the PTA chairman. In fact, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Nor, as the headmaster, should set a good example. I like to go to the extent of suggesting that his entire office should be shifted to the washroom. In fact, we should allow him to organise buka puasa for all teachers in the same washroom since hygiene is not an issue at all. An honorary office boy position should also be created for Perkasas deputy president Zulkifli Noordin where he can sit beside Mohamad Nasir in the shower room. How about that! You may be laughing, but when the tables are turned this is what makes you realise what a terrible decision it was for a headmaster to make for his students, regardless of race and religion. I dare Mohamad Nasir to take up my suggestions immediately after he returns to the school. The relocation of the headmasters office should be a permanent decision. No turning back, even if people were to persuade him otherwise. I would salute such a person. As it is, the obvious thing that is lacking here is the ability to apply the Golden Rule, Do to others what you would have them do to you. In short, if you want to make a decision like this, be prepared to put yourself in the same shoes. You will then understand how other people feel about their children being asked to eat their lunch in the shower room. Now, I even wonder if someone like Zulkifli has a conscience when he started to defend Mohamad Nasir! I hope at least Mohamad Nasir comes to his senses.

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Face off on Facebook on Seri Pristana canteen issue

BY Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY J ULY 26, 2013

The SK Seri Pristana issue is now being fought out in Facebook. The angry parents are on one page while a newer fan page has been launched in support of the school's headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor. More than 1,000 netizens have already thrown their support behind the headmaster in the new Facebook page which was created yesterday. The page administrator has picked quotes from blogs voicing support for the headmaster while slamming Guneswari Kelly, (as she is known in her Facebook page) the mother of a pupil who uploaded photos showing non-Muslim pupils having their meals in the shower room at recess. In a posting, the page administrator said the issue has "brought down" a national school, which has a majority of Malay students, and may possibly force a dedicated headmaster to lose his spirit. The post added that this case was brought about by the mother of a "minority" student who now has gotten the support of the MIC, MCA, DAP, PKR and PAS. The school explained they resorted to using the shower room as the canteen could not accomodate all the students. Parents, however, are crying foul claiming that the reason given by the school was not true. Following the outcry, the school shut down the shower room and re-opened the canteen yesterday.

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On the Facebook page set up by the group in favour of the headmaster, netizens were defending his actions and sharing blog posts of those who visited the school and found the situation to be contrary to what was alleged. They also urged the police and the authorities to take immediate action and to "arrest" the individual who reportedly first shared the pictures of the shower room in social media circles which created the media storm. - July 26, 2013.

The PTAs role in a school - Dr. Mohamed Rafick Khan

J ULY 26, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 26, 2013 06: 24 PM

I refer to The Malaysian Insider report dated July 26, 2013: School need not tell everything to parents," says Seri Pristana PTA chief, written by Yiswaree Palansamy. To be fair to the PTa president, Hussein Mohd Ariff, I am only assuming that what was reported by the reporter was exactly what the PTA president said. Firstly, let me say that as an ex-PTA president, majority of the PTA members has no clue what PTA is all about and many of them have not seen the PTA constitution. Going by what was written by The Malaysian Insider, clearly Hussein Ariff has very little clue on what is the actual role of the PTA. As he is quoted: "The school has the right to choose what it wants to disclose to the parents and this includes the decision to open up the shower room as a makeshift canteen," Hussein told The Malaysian Insider in Kuala Lumpur today. It is not up to us to meddle with the school administration. We are there to support and raise funds for their programmes." While there is appropriate regulation that bars the PTA from interfering with the school administration, it does not mean that PTA committee members have to rubber-stamp everything that the school does. The role of the PTA goes far beyond giving support and raising funds. It should be about ensuring that the school does things that make sense and for the benefit of the

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children. Had such a proposal been discussed by the PTA, then they should have contributed their views when it makes sense. It is pure logic that such an idea does not make sense to the average person irrespective of race and religion. In a PTA, the headmaster functions purely in an advisory capacity. It has no power to push the PTA to accept any suggestions from the school. The PTA committee members should have played a greater role in deliberating such issues and make a formal and clear position of the matter. Parents are equally to be blamed. Most parents do not even attend PTA meetings. In most schools, during PTA meetings, teachers outnumber parents and there are so many reluctant candidates when it comes to leading the school PTA. Clearly what is wrong here is that the balance between PTA and school was not there and the PTA is currently reacting to the sensationalised news. No matter how good the headmaster's intentions were, taking such a step does not make sense. If indeed space is a constraint, they should have done the necessary things to expand the canteen. Worst case scenario, the teachers canteen should have been moved into the washroom. On the so-called renovation, it should have been done during the school holidays. I dont think changing the door is very crucial and it should not take more than 2 days to do such job. My advice to the PTA members, please go back and study the constitution and stop menegakkan benang yang basah. Based on my personal observation, I would be very concerned that the teachers at the school will victimise the child whose parent blasted the news while the PTA chairman's child will get special treatment. The threat to the child is real. I have seen enough cases in my lifetime. - July 26, 2013. * Dr Mohamed Rafick Khan reads The Malaysian Insider.

Perkasa comes to defence of meals-in-toilet headmaster

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JULY 26, 2013

Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim (right) points out the details of the temporary canteen to Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan Picture by Shahir Omar KUALA LUMPUR, July 26 The Malay right-wing non-governmental organisation Perkasa has urged the authorities to act against individuals who politicise the recent issue over pupils eating recess meals at a changing room of a school in Sungai Buloh. Its vice-president Datuk Zulkifli Noordin said certain quarters had taken advantage of the situation to slander the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Nor, by branding him as a racist who forced non-Malay pupils to eat in the toilet. Clearly, the matter has been distorted and coated with lies when the truth is that the school has a small canteen that can only accommodate 600 pupils. The decision (to use the changing room) was made following a discussion between the teachers and the parent-teacher association, and the headmaster was only implementing the decision, he said at a news conference to announce the formation of the Malaysian Inter-Racial NGO Council (Mirac), here. Zulkifli expressed Perkasas support to defend Mohamad Nasir. Meanwhile, chairman of the MIC Youth Education Bureau, P. Punithan, in a statement, urged all quarters not to turn the matter into a racial issue, saying it could undermine the existing racial unity. Bernama

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- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/perkasacomes-to-defence-of-meals-in-toilet-headmaster#sthash.gEDKoiQl.dpuf

Shower room canteen whistle-blower gets threats

Posted on 25 July 2013 - 10:16pm Last updated on 26 July 2013 - 09:48am Dorothy Cheng and Nauwar Shukri

PETALING JAYA (July 25, 2013): The pupil whose mother exposed SK Seri Pristanas shower room canteen controversy earlier this week is depressed after being bullied by both her classmates and teachers while her mother, Guneswari Kelly, has received kidnap threats. School headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor, meanwhile, has reportedly been told to go on leave for a week and has lodged a police report claiming he was slandered by certain parties over the incident. Guneswaris Facebook post, complete with photographs, on Monday sparked outrage over the Sungai Buloh schools makeshift canteen, prompting authorities to order the closure of the shower room. However, on Wednesday, she began receiving several phone calls from individuals threatening to vandalise her property and kidnap her daughter. I have informed the police in my area of the phone calls, she told theSun today. Her daughter, aged nine, complained of being bullied in school ever since the photos went viral. Guneswari said her daughter is depressed. The students tease her about it, and the teachers berate her. They ask her why I did such a thing, she said, adding that she has reported the incident to the schools Parent-Teacher Association.

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Guneswari insisted she never meant to portray the issue in a racial or religious light, and that she was only concerned about the hygiene of the shower room. She also questioned the schools move of taking photographs of teachers breaking fast in the shower room on Tuesday. What are the teachers trying to prove? The children had to eat there everyday, she said. She also lodged a police report against the school on Wednesday, bringing to 14 the total number of such reports lodged so far by other parents and NGOs. Malaysian Tamilan Today secretary K. Gunasekaran, who was present at the Saujana Utama police station where the reports were made, said the parents and NGOs will sue the Education Ministry if no action is taken against the school and headmaster. He said the organisation will file a civil suit against the school, headmaster and Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan for misleading the affected parties. He said a team would also visit the Education Ministry next week to pursue the matter. Kamalanathan had told the media after visiting the school on Wednesday that the issue was not related to race or religion.

Mum who exposed 'shower canteen' gets kidnap threats

12:41PM Jul 26, 2013 The mother who exposed the photographs of the shower canteen controversy has received kidnap threats while her daughter is being bullied by both classmates and teachers in SK Seri Pristana. According to a report in the Sun, Guneswari Kelly said she received calls from unknown individuals threatening to vandalise her property and kidnap her daughter. Guneswari, who uploaded the photographs on Facebook, had informed the police about the matter. She also said that her nine-year-old daughter was depressed because she was being picked on at school. "The students tease her about it, and the teachers berate her. They ask her why I did such a thing," she told the Sun. Guneswari had reported the incident to the school's Parent-Teacher Association. The mother claimed that she never intended to turn the incident into one that concerned race and religion, but was just alarmed about the hygiene aspect of having the children eat their meals in the shower room.

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Guneswari was also puzzled by the move to post a photograph of Muslim teachers breaking fast in the shower room. "What are the teachers trying to prove?" she asked. "The children had to eat there every day." Guneswari also filed a police report against the school, bringing the total number of reports against the school to 14. A check by Malaysiakini also revealed that Guneswari's Facebook page was no longer active. The SK Pristana issue witnessed various quarters giving it a racial and religious twist while both the school authorities and Education Ministry denied this. The headmaster, who had since been ordered to go on leave, had claimed that the shower room was used as the canteen was under renovation.

12 police reports lodged over Sungai Buloh school controversy

BY ELI ZABET H ZACHARI AH J ULY 26, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 26, 2013 08: 46 PM

Police have received 12 police reports over the SK Seri Pristana controversy where non-Muslim pupils were shown having their meals in the shower room. Sungai Buloh police chief Superintendent Junaidi Bujang said 10 reports were from parents and even outsiders, who wanted action taken against the school authorities. "There were also two reports from the headmaster and a teacher who claimed that they were threatened," said Junaidi, adding that their reports have been classified as criminal intimidation. Headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor, 57, claimed that he had received death threats by people who had called the school office. Junaidi added that the other staff, a teacher, had lodged a report alleging that the issue had been blown out of proportion and has caused the staff in the school to feel demotivated and lose their focus on teaching. However, he said that contrary to previous reports, he has yet to receive any report from the woman who exposed the case - known only as Guneswari.

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Guneswari had also claimed that she lodged a police report after alleging that she and her daughter were threatened with kidnap. "No, I have not received any report from her," the police chief confirmed. Meanwhile, Selangor deputy police chief A. Thaiveegan has denied stating that the police would use the Sedition Act against those who spread photographs with regard to the shower room fiasco. Thaiveegan claimed that he was misquoted by a "certain newspaper". Utusan Online had reported that Thaiveegaan had stated that those who spread the photographs showing the pupils eating in the shower room could be investigated under the Sedition Act as such images could result in provocation and racial conflict. "Police would not hesitate to take action against those found spreading seditious information about the school over the social network," he was quoted as saying. "This was absolutely not true, I was misquoted," he said. - July 26, 2013.

Stop threatening Guneswari and her child for exposing 'toilet canteen' scandal - MCA Wanita
Written by Yu Chok Tow

It saddens me to read that individuals have purportedly threatened Guneswari Kelly who uploaded the photos of the changing room converted into a makeshift canteen at SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh and her child with kidnap and property vandalism after the photos surfaced. It is even more heartbreaking to read her child is allegedly being teased by students and berated by teachers. Children dont know discrimination It is cultivated

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If indeed the said teachers are berating the child in school as reported, they have degraded a very noble profession by involving these antics which verge on reprisals against a completely innocent child and into childrens education and wellbeing. Besides academia, the role of teachers is to import moral values and not abuse their authority to single out a nine-year old girl for victimisation. What sort of example are the said teachers setting to the pupils classmates? Unless taught, our children would never come to know of bullying condoned by higher authorities. This behaviour and mindset are engraved and cultivated into very impressionable school children. To the teachers and every member of the schooling system; would you want your child or niece or nephew to have this same traumatic experience? Education must continue Guneswari released the photo in hopes for change after school authorities purportedly failed to respond to her queries (The Malaysian Insider, 26 July 2013). The issue began purely as a hygienic matter which affects all pupils irrespective of creed, yet this photo has evolved into alleged kidnapping and vandalism threats against the whistleblower and death threats against the Headmaster as well all completely unacceptable. The key to overcoming is to remain calm, move on. All parties must desist at once and let the Ministry of Education continue in its probe. Primarily, education and inculcation of virtues not retribution must be taught. Wanita MCA stresses that the continuation of education supersedes all else, and educators have the responsibility to ensure schooling life can continue on in a kind and respectful manner. The investigation should also proceed without disturbance as the findings are important for the members of that school and to create a precedent for future cases. Dato Yu Chok Tow Wanita MCA Chairman

Haul up Utusan over false news, DAP demands

JULY 26, 2013

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PETALING JAYA, July 26 Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia must be punished for disseminating false news that the police planned to use the Sedition Act over the Seri Pristana fiasco, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng demanded today. According to the Bagan MP, this was a new low even for the newspaper that openly called for the bloody May 13 racial riots that killed thousands of innocent Malaysians to be celebrated as a holy day. Nothing is beyond Utusan Malaysia, Lim (picture) said in a statement. [The] public had had enough of lies spread by Utusan Malaysia to foment fear and hate amongst Malaysias multi-religious society. Earlier today, Selangor acting police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan refuted a report claiming he said authorities will investigate for sedition the distribution of photographs showing students eating in a primary school bathroom. According to Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, Thaiveegan denied saying or inferring that the Sedition Act may be used in the case or related incidents. Although he did not expressly name the offending newspaper, Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia had published an article yesterday that quoted him as issuing such a warning to users of social media. Given Thaiveegans clarification, Lim said it was now imperative to take the newspaper to task. Firm action should be taken against Utusan Malaysia under the Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984 or Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 for false news that police will be using the Sedition Act against those who spread photos of the makeshift canteen in shower room controversy, he said.

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But despite his call, Lim also expressed doubts that any will be forthcoming given the double standards and selective prosecution that he accused the Barisan Nasional government of practising. Witness the failure to punish Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin for their calls respectively to burn the Bible and make insults against Hindus. Worse Umno ministers like Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahmans shocking refusal to condemn Ibrahim Alis call to burn the Bible or that Ibrahim Ali should apologise and be punished. On Tuesday, a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly posted on social network Facebook photographs that appeared to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the lavatory even as the school canteen went unoccupied. According to her, the children were directed not to use the canteen shown cordoned off in the pictures as they would dirty the area. Instead, they were told to go to the schools changing rooms and lavatories, and ordered to stay there for the duration of their recess. A day after a firestorm erupted over images, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan declared the issue closed following an apology from the school head. The eating area in the bathroom has since been closed and the children directed to once again take their meals at the school canteen. Following the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, confirmed on his Twitter page that the incident will be investigated and punishment meted to those responsible. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/haul-up-utusan-overfalse-news-dap-demands#sthash.wfva9ZC1.dpuf

Hand-kisser Kamalanathan cooking up an excuse

YOURSAY 'It is due to the existence of Indian politicians like Kamalanathan in the BN that the Indians are being treated like the most odious rubbish.' This is not about race or religion, says deputy minister

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Versey: Education plays a vital role in nation building and the loyalty and unity of its people in spirit and form promotes a loving and caring society which helps to advance and enhance the nation further. School is the place where we educate our future generation not only hoping them to achieve academic excellence, it is also the place where they can get to know more about fellow Malaysians of other ethnic groups, learn to care and respect different cultures and traditions, and how to play and live together as one people of the same nation. Is it not the purpose of promoting national schools? Children tend to look up to their teachers and take them as role models. What kind of example bigoted educators and minister of slave mentality shown to the young minds? From where did Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan receive his basic education? Doesn't common sense can tell that any renovation work in school ought to be carried out during school holidays to minimise any due disturbances and possible injuries to students, least to say small kids? Had he not been taught of hygiene when he was in school? Is it acceptable for him to eat in the shower room next to the toilet? Anonymous #68219004: These students should have been allowed to eat their packed food in one of the classroom during break time. Fasting does not negate the right of non-Muslims their right to eat. If you fast, you don't eat but don't discriminate others the freedom to eat. It's time our kids are taught it's not wrong nor sinful to mingle or mix with your fellow Malaysians even though you are fasting. Don't levy the guilt trip on young minds. Canteens should be open to serve the purpose it was built for. No wonder, our education quality is going down the drain. By the way, the school authorities must be punished for this degrading and inhumane act. What have we become as a people? Ferdtan: Kamalanathan is the right person to be the apologist for Umno. After all, didn't he bend so low to kiss the hand of the Malay first' DPM Muhyiddin Yassin in the 2010 Hulu Selangor parliamentary by-election when he first stood for election? No wonder he was appointed to be his deputy; he can answer to the press eloquently with impeccable excuses, though no one is buying it. Maybe the headmaster made an honest but stupid mistake of forcing the non-Muslim students to eat their lunches in a washroom, but it is still no excuse.

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One thing is clear from this episode - in this unhealthy climate had long created by Umno conservatives (the Islamic superiority' over other nonMuslims), the headmaster, true to type, was trying to protect' the Muslim students who were fasting from seeing other non-Muslims eating. So his simple solution was to hide the non-Muslims eating; anywhere will do, even the washroom. The influence of bigoted religious politicians from Umno has now influence the thinking of all government Muslim servants, like the school principal in this case. Abasir: First one story, now another. First the renovation was in March because of overcrowding, then it was due to a carefully-timed renovation of a glass door leading to the teachers' room two weeks ago, while the parents say that this nonsense of eating in the shower room' started two days into Ramadan. Of course, hand-kissing Kamalanathan did not ask why a renovation is commissioned during term time and why during Ramadan specifically. This has all to do with race and religion and Kamalanathan knows it. But he is beholden to Muhyuddin, so how? Odin: For heaven's sake, Kamalanathan, you may be moronic and much partial to kissing the hands of those you toady up to, but many others are not. This is about race and religion. We gather that the renovation involves only a glass door in the canteen for teachers, and that a red tape has been used to close off the whole canteen for pupils. If the bigoted headmaster is really concerned for the pupils affected, he would have arranged for some kind of a simple barricade to be erected to close off the particular door area. It is due to the existence of Indian politicians like you in BN that the Indians are being treated like the most odious rubbish. Aries46: Hand-kisser Kamalanathan of all people, the epitome of a subservient Indian, is an interested party and is not the right person to clear the air over this debacle at SK Seri Pristana. He is more interested to cover up for the school authorities than to get to the truth of the matter. Even his claim that canteen was under renovation is untrue as it was reported that there was no such renovation. Despite his vehement denial that race or religion was involved it is obvious that the canteen has been shut down during Ramadan to confine non-Muslim students to eat in the shower room away from the sight of the Muslim

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students. There appears to be more to this than meets the eye and Kamalanathan's vague statement of appeasement leaves many unanswered questions. But what is disturbing is that some of our educational institutions could be in the hands of some uncivilised bigots masquerading as educators. Retnam: March, April, May, June and July are five months. Five months to replace a glass door? People can build a whole house in five months.

Cop denies Utusan report on sedition probe over Seri Pristana photos
JULY 26, 2013

PETALING JAYA, July 26 Selangor acting police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan today refuted a report claiming he said authorities will investigate for sedition the distribution of photographs showing students eating in a primary school bathroom.

According to Chinese-language newspaper Sin Chew Daily, Thaiveegan (picture) denied saying or inferring that the Sedition Act may be used in the case or related incidents. Although he did not expressly name the offending newspaper, Umno-owned Utusan Malaysia had published an article yesterday that quoted him as issuing such a warning to users of social media.

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The police will not hesitate to act against parties who distribute seditious information using social networks on the issue of the school, Thaiveegan was quoted as saying in the report yesterday. Originally posted at http://www.utusan.com.my/utusan/Jenayah/20130725/je_11/Sebargambar-murid-makan-di-bilik-persalinan--boleh-didakwa, the article has since been replaced with another piece coincidentally on the accidental discharge of firearms. It is unclear if the newspaper has issued a retraction. On Tuesday, a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly posted on social network Facebook photographs that appeared to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the lavatory even as the school canteen went unoccupied. According to her, the children were directed not to use the canteen shown cordoned off in the pictures as they would dirty the area. Instead, they were told to go to the schools changing rooms and lavatories, and ordered to stay there for the duration of their recess. A day after a firestorm erupted over images, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan declared the issue closed following an apology from the school head. The eating area in the bathroom has since been closed and the children directed to once again take their meals at the school canteen. Following the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, confirmed on his Twitter page that the incident will be investigated and punishment meted to those responsible. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/cop-denies-utusanreport-on-sedition-probe-over-seri-pristana-photos#sthash.WYrKGawa.dpuf

Acting police chief claims 'seditious' photo misquote

Selangor acting police chief A Thaiveegan has denied stating that the police would use the Sedition Act against those who spread photographs with regard to the shower room canteen imbroglio. Selangor deputy police chief A ThaiveeganIn a Sin Chew Daily report, Thaiveegan (right) claimed that he was misquoted by a "certain newspaper".

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According to the police chief, he had not said anything to the effect of using the Sedition Act. Yesterday, Utusan Online (below) reported that Thaiveegaan in stating that those who spread the photos could be investigated under the Sedition Act, warned that such images could result in provocation and racial conflict. "Police would not hesitate to take action against those found spreading seditious information about the school over the social network," he was quoted as saying. A check on Utusan Online today revealed that while the URL for the online article still carried the original headline regarding Thaiveegan's threat, the content has however been replaced with an unrelated story. The pictures of non-Muslim children of SK Seri Pristana having their meals in the shower room during the current fasting month have been posted on various social networks over the past three days, and have angered netizens. Images uploaded on Facebook on Monday show the pupils sitting around tables set up in their school's shower room. The school authorities have been accused of forcing the children to eat in the makeshift dining room, located next to the toilets. However, it was later reported that the school canteen has been closed for renovation while Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan denied that the matter was related to race or religion.

Press Statement By DAP Secretary-General And MP For Bagan Lim Guan Eng In Kuala Lumpur On 26.7.2013.
Action Should Be Taken Against Utusan Malaysia Under The 1984 Printing Presses And Publications Act Or Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 For False News That Police Will Be Using The Sedition Act Against Those Who Spread Photos Of The Makeshift Canteen In Shower Room Controversy.

DAP condemns that death threats made against the whistle-blower and parent of a student SK Seri Pristana who exposed the case of students being made to eat in a school shower room, Guneswari, as well as the schools headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor. Such violent threats are criminal wrongdoings and completely against Malaysian culture of rational, reasoned and objective solutions towards problem solving. DAP hopes the police and catch those responsible for spreading this culture of violence.
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On another matter, the public had had enough of lies spread by Utusan Malaysia to foment fear and hate amongst Malaysias multi-religious society. For a paper that lies about PR leaders is done as easily like breathing in and breathing out. Opposition leaders like myself winning defamation suits in courts against Utusan has not stopped Utusan from continuing its lying culture. Nothing is beyond Utusan Malaysia until it can openly call for the bloody May 13 racial riots that killed thousands of innocent Malaysians to be celebrated as a holy day. However Utusan Malaysia has reached another low when it lied about Selangor acting police A Thaiveegan warning that the police would not hesitate to use the Sedition Act against those who spread photographs of the makeshift canteen in the shower room because such images could result in provocation and racial conflict. According to A. Thaiveegan, he had not said anything to the effect of using the Sedition Act. Firm action should be taken against Utusan Malaysia under the Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984 or Multimedia and Communications Act 1998 for false news that police will be using the Sedition Act against those who spread photos of the makeshift canteen in shower room controversy. Under section 8A of the Printing Presses & Publications Act 1984, the penalty for false news is a maximum fine of RM20,000 and imprisonment of 3 years or to both whereas under section 233(1) of the Multimedia and Communications Act 1998, the maximum fine not exceeding fifty thousand ringgit or to imprisonment not exceeding one year or to both. DAP doubts that action will be taken against Utusan Malaysia for spreading false news as the BN practices double-standards and selective prosecution in only punishing its opponents but not those who support BN. Witness the failure to punish Perkasa leaders Ibrahim Ali and Zulkifli Noordin for their calls respectively to burn the Bible and make insults against Hindus. Worse UMNO Ministers like Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Datuk Abdul Rahmans shocking refusal to condemn Ibrahim Alis call to burn the Bible or that Ibrahim Ali should apologise and be punished. LIM GUAN ENG

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Sack the headmaster

FMT Staff | July 24, 2013

Calls to suspend and sack the headmaster, who made non-Muslim students eat at the school's changing room, is growing.

PETALING JAYA: The MIC, echoing the general sentiment, wants the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristina in Sungai Buloh suspended immediately and sacked from government service. Party vice-president and Deputy Youth and Sports Minister M Saravanan said the Education Ministry should suspend the headmaster with immediate effect while he awaited a sacking order.

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We know it is not easy to sack a civil servant. But the offence committed is unforgivable. He should not be allowed into the school again. He should be sacked for being so insensitive. This is just one reported case. We really hope there are not many little Napoleon headmasters like this running our schools. It is people like this who bring a bad name to civil servants. When these people do something, the government is blamed. This needs to be a lesson for all civil servants. Transferring the headmaster is not an option. He should be sacked and the ministry must be open and transparent in taking action against the headmaster, he told FMT. Yesterday, it was reported that the headmaster of SK Seri Pristina has ordered nonMuslim students to have their food at the school changing room due to the fasting month. The changing room was next to the school toilet. Reports also reveal that the students were made to eat their meals there because the school canteen was undergoing renovation. However, photographs of the school and its canteen splashed in newspapers today showed no renovation work being carried out. Saravanan also suggested that all civil servants, especially those in decision-making positions, be made to undergo a race relations course so that they would not be insensitive to non-Muslims in their course of work. This happens every now and then. We must do something to stop this trend. Why is it happening? I am just making a suggestion. We want civil servants in authority to make decisions to understand the sensitivity of other races in the country, he added. Callous disregard Similar call for action was also made by MCA deputy president Liow Tiong Lai. Its disgusting. Such a thing should not have happened, he said. The former health minister also criticised errant school administrators for practising discrimination among students. Why do we need to look at things in a racial view when we want to implement something? asked Liow. Meanwhile, MIC treasurer-general senator Jaspal Singh said the shocking sight of nonMuslim children being made to eat in a public changing room has outraged many Malaysians. The core issue is callous disregard and disrespect for the beliefs and practices of those different from oneself, in short, bigotry. On the one hand we preach unity and mutual

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respect, on the other an individual in a responsible position, a headmaster, abuses the very children he is supposed to nurture and protect, he said in a statement. It is clear that someone so callous and uncaring of his charges as the headmaster of SK Pristina cannot be allowed to continue in his current position. In fact, he should not be allowed anywhere near impressionable children. I call upon the Education Ministry to mete out the harshest punishment on this individual. Suspend him immediately, he said. Tony Pua: Negative ramifications

DAP publicity chief and MP for PJ Utara Tony Pua said the transformation of the national schools into religious hardline schools has major negative ramifications for the countrys future. Not only are non-Malays extremely deterred from sending their children to these national schools, those who do both Malays and non-Malays will be scarred for life, he said in a statement today. He said there was a risk of non-Malay students who will feel like they are unworthy second class citizens. The Malay students who attend these schools will on the other hand deem it is right and proper to subject other races, religions and cultures to their own beliefs and practices, he added. Pua said the government must put in place urgent drastic reforms if it was serious about making the national schools the school of choice for Malaysians, and the grounds to breed national unity. He added that the Education Ministry must mete out swift and severe punishment to the school authorities. He also said that the ministry should come up with strict guidelines on these matters in all schools.

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For example, non-Muslim students must be allowed to eat in school canteens during fasting month, and the canteen must be operated instead of being closed. The failure to even come up with, and enforce such guidelines would only mean that the ministry is granting tacit approvals for such actions, and will almost certainly make racial polarisation in Malaysia an irreversible process, he added. Azmin: A crying shame PKR deputy president Azmin Ali meanwhile said the incident was shocking, scandalous and unacceptable. Ramadan teaches us to be generous, considerate and more caring to others. This is an insult to Islam and whoever is responsible must be dealt with accordingly. Whatever reason it may be, it is still inconceivable how the school authorities could choose a shower room next to the toilets for a place for the students to eat, said the Gombak MP. He also urged the Education Minister to investigate and take swift action.

MALAYSIA NOW OPENLY RACIST: 'Toilet canteen' episode shows up long simmering issues
Written by J. D. Lovrenciear, Wong Choon Mei Rate this item font size Print E-mail Comments (0)

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We can put aside all race and religious sentiments, we can look at the issue from a management perspective with rationality prevailing. We can even dismiss the police threat of imposing more of the Sedition Act as a publicity stunt to suck up to the powersthat-be. But all this forgiveness will not take Malaysia anywhere into the realm of developed nations for sure. Neither would we be dealing with the reality in Malaysia because the actual day-to day situation is bad and getting worse. What we need to do is to confront the issue of RACISM point black. It has always been there and it is now so bad, everyone in the country can feel it. It is worse than the haze. The siege mentality or feelings of inferiority amongst the Malays, especially when they face up to the Chinese and Indians who without their 'handicaps' are still smarter and in many ways more capable than them, is even huger than before. And this despite the Malays having already carved out so much economic, education and social advantages. As for the Chinese, they are still banging their heads against a brick wall that refuses to crumble. More than before, many feel like leaving this 'sickening' country. The Indians...well, the Indians ... that's another sad story that needs a chapter all to itself. So what are we going to do about all this RACISM? And to be precise, what we are talking about is MALAY RACISM against the non-Malays. It is not that racial prejudice doesn't exist vice-versa but the problem for the current moment in this country is the unbridled feelings of Malay supremacy going more than a little bit out of control. Many Malays now not only feel but openly SHOW they have the right to bully, as well as mentally and physically impinge on the space of the other communities. Make no mistake, it is going to be a long and dangerous journey ahead, but have courage we must, for the surgeon's scalpel has to be used to dig and explore without mercy if we are to expunge the cancer that is killing this country and us all. Dithering Education Minister

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Let's look at the toilet-canteen case. To begin with, it reveals there is much to be desired in so far as the Education Ministry goes. What we need is the courage to admit where we have failed if we are serious about the transformation that is being preached by the leaders and be seen to take appropriate action. To begin with, the Honorable Deputy Education Minister could have tackled the issue in a more informed manner using the strategic science of public relations. Instead he fouled it and created more reason for the race and religion sentiments to be exploited by various quarters. In fact the deputy ministers efforts have even drawn out more unfair criticism on the schools head leading to the head lodging a police report. And beneath this unfolding drama in distaste is a revealing problem that we must address if we want to stop all such bucket brigade fighting and knee jerk reactions each time ignored issues escalate into a crisis into the public domain through the unstoppable netscape. Why was the canteen so badly designed? Was it another BN corruption thingy? Foremost, the questions that have risen out of this toilet-canteen episode is how could we have design-built a fairly new school to cater for a 600 population when the enrolment is a staggering 1,300 pupils? And if there was a huge constrain and gnawing problem in providing a humanly decent place to eat for 23 students, how did the school manage all these years for a 1,300 population? If oversight in planning or absolute lack of planning was the reason, then the next question that begs an answer is why did the Head of the school not address this lack of basic amenity to the ministry all this while? And why only 23 students - all non-Malays - pushed to this toilet canteen Let us suppose that the head had filled in the reports to the relevant desks. And if that be the case in all probability going by the heads efforts to provide make-shift arrangements, then who in the ministry is guilty of not expediting the matter and ensuring that basic amenities are improvised with speed? To answer these questions, it will take a mountain of courage and determination from all those citizens employed in schools across the country. How many heads and PTAs across the length and breadth of the country will have the courage and the protection granted to speak the honest reality that is plaguing schools from basic amenities to safety to teaching and learning comfort.

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This is an important matter because we are not talking about a nation that earned independence five years ago. We had enjoyed independence for over half a century. The voting citizens of this country had placed their trust in one single political party for decades and hence BN is solely responsible for the problems faced by the toilet-canteen school. Period. BN has to be accountable BN is accountable for our progress and failures. The political masters and policy guardians must stand up to be held accountable. If we can under the Mahathir leadership successfully build mega structures ranging from from world-known Twin-Towers to creation of a whole new picture-perfect capitals like Putrajaya, what is so difficult to plan and build schools that meet desired goals and growing needs? Let us now examine the public relations flop here. With due respect to the office of the deputy minister, YB Kamalanathan failed to understand the importance of issues management here. The first step in a brewing crisis is to know and identify accurately your target publics. Next, you should put in place a multiple public relations strategy to address each of the affected target publics including stratums of stakeholders involved or implicated in this toilet-canteen breakout. Each target deserves different strokes. Kow-towing will only help Kamalanathan's personal agenda Instead the deputy education minister chose to go full throttle, arriving at the school premises with a bent will to bulldoze through with his version of the facts or truth as he wanted the public to subscribe to. That is suicidal public relations. To make it worse he announced an immediate funding of RM10,000 hoping it will earn goodwill. Again this is a miserably failure because at the heights of frayed feelings and intense suspicion where facts do not matter especially when information has gone viral, the act of handouts cuts deeper into the open wound and not serve as a healing balm. A strategic approach would have been to give public importance to the complaining party/parties and take ownership of the problem as the deputy minister represents the very body that guides, determines and manages education in all schools. But unfortunately the deputy minister chose to play the role of mandor-mediator telling everyone in short to shut up and get on with life which again is tantamount to shooting yourself in both the feet.

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YB should have instead have played the role of facilitator, bringing all parties to the table to put their heads and hearts together to arrive at an understanding that speaks well to the nationwide audience especially netizens. Even if you don't have the decency, at least have the courage to stop lying What we need to understand is that strategic public relations is very different from technician public relations. The technician approach is a handyman fix-it-solution mindset approach to a given issue that has far-reaching consequences; whereas strategic thinking in public relations demands the ability to navigate the involved publics out of a precipitating crisis or what we term in public relations as the red zone. Hence, let us not keep shouting at the netizens for their all kinds of taking offence with the toilet-canteen. Let us also not hold the head of the school as the culprit or the scapegoat. Such easy-way-out approaches cannot take the nation forward. And for the police, they too must not fall into that blinkered trap of warning of more arrests with the hope it will solve the problem. If in the final analysis the ministry does conclusively prove that there was misplaced fanaticism on the part of the schools head, then appropriate action taken must be a warning across the nation too. Most importantly we need courage. If we have failed, we must admit where we have failed and resolve with acceptable solutions. And for starters, will the education ministry give the protection and the blessing to all schools to produce a blueprint without fear or favor or political allegiance and patronage on what is working and what is not right in their schools? Will we rise from such toilet-canteen episodes or will we sink deeper in the murky waters of power, greed and misplaced justice? Patriotism demands that we address the problems truthfully and not safeguard vested interests. Malaysia Chronicle

Canteen in shower room a permanent arrangement decided in March, says SK Seri Pristanas PTA
BY Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY AND RUEBELI NE RUEBEN J ULY 26, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 26, 2013 09: 49 AM

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Using the shower room as an extension to the canteen at SK Seri Pristana was going to be a permanent arrangement, said a member of the school's parent-teacher association. Major Hardeep Singh told The Malaysian Insider that the four-year-old school could not cope with the enrolment and had decided on this move in March at the association's annual general meeting. When asked if the shower room was going to be the permanent spot for the canteen extension, Hardeep said: "Yes". PTA chairman Hussein Mohd Ariff acknowledged that this arrangement had been in effect since March when pupils were ordered to use the shower room to have their recess meals. "The canteen was not closed for 'renovations' then. It was still open," said Hussein. It is now understood that the "renovation" only entailed changing a wooden door into a glass door which leads to the teachers' eating room. It is also learnt that the canteen was closed since the beginning of the fasting month and work to replace the door began on July 17 and was completed a week later. The decision to open the shower room was made by the headmaster, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor, at the PTA's AGM. "He gave the parents time to deliberate over the matter and when no one objected, the school went ahead and opened the shower room," said Hussein. Hussein told The Malaysian Insider that he would have immediately informed the school not to have the shower room open for dining had any parent stepped forward to object. "All the pupils, including the Muslims, had used the shower room during recess before the fasting month.

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"It's just that when Ramadan started, the shower room continued to be used by the non-Muslim pupils," he said. Hussein insisted that no form of malice or discrimination was intended in the issue which has thrust the school into bad light. He also said the PTA was not given enough time to react to the matter when it was blown wide open by parents. "If only the parents had approached us with their concerns, I would have rushed to stop the shower room being used as a canteen. "Instead, it has gone viral on social media and the issue has now turned racial for some," he added. On Wednesday, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan visited the school and claimed that the issue was now settled after he was briefed by the school authorities. He claimed that it had nothing to do with race or religion and gave the school RM10,000 to renovate its canteen. He also ordered that the shower room be closed and not used as a canteen in future. - July 26, 2013

DAP: Shifting canteen out of bathroom treats symptom, not problem

JULY 25, 2013

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File photo of children seen taking their recess break in a shower room allegedly at SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh. Picture posted by Facebook user Guneswari KellyPETALING JAYA, July 25 Simply moving students out of a makeshift eating area inside a primary schools bathroom only addressed a symptom of a larger problem that the Education Ministry must still resolve, DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng said today. Despite the Education Ministry declaring the matter resolved yesterday, Lim today noted that the elephant in the room continues to be ignored. The public needs to know how such an incident could have happened in the first place because it is humiliating for children to eat in a shower room that is converted into a makeshift canteen, the Bagan MP said in a statement. A day after a firestorm erupted over images depicting primary schoolchildren eating in what was variably described as a toilet, a shower room and a changing room shared on social media sites, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan declared the issue closed following an apology from the school head. As far as we are concerned, the issue is resolved. The headmaster had good intentions but chose a poor location. He has apologised. I too apologise. It wont happen again, Kamalanathan told a press conference at the SK Seri Pristana school in Sungai Buloh yesterday.

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Today, however, Lim insisted a strong message must be sent that civil servants must respect the sensitivities and rights of all communities in this matter. Failure to do so will only accelerate the negative perception that the sensitivities and rights of non-Muslims can be trampled upon without punishment, the Bagan MP warned. Such negative perception can easily turn to a feeling of victimisation by non-Muslims. Yesterday, DAP national publicity secretary Tony Pua also urged the ministry to enforce guidelines to prevent such instances of racial and religious segregation of students, regardless of intention, saying failure to reverse the tide of religious hardline schools would make racial polarisation in Malaysia irreversible. Aside from the lack of punitive action taken so far, Lim also took issue with Kamalanathans nervous haste in declaring the matter resolved despite the lingering questions that remain over the incident that had Malaysians up in arms. Such nervous hastiness in closing the controversy will be seen as a cover-up unless Kamalanathan can explain why the parents were not informed since March this year that the canteen will be relocated to the shower room because of renovations, he added. Lim also noted that despite the official explanation that the children were made to have their meals in the bathroom due to renovations at the canteen, such work was not readily apparent at the site. The DAP man also further criticised the presence of heavily-armed police officers during the Kamalanathans visit to the school yesterday, saying it was sad to see that such measures were taken against angry parents seeking answers and justice. On Tuesday, a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly posted on social network Facebook photographs that appeared to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the lavatory even as the school canteen went unoccupied. According to her, the children were directed not to use the canteen shown cordoned off in the pictures as they would dirty the area. Instead, they were told to go to the schools changing rooms and lavatories, and ordered to stay there for the duration of their recess.

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Following the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, confirmed on his Twitter page that the incident will be investigated and punishment meted to those responsible. The incident is reminiscent of a 2010 incident in Kedah where the headmistress of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau accused Chinese pupils there of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan, before ordering them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races. Although the school head later apologised, the incident and others in the same vein led to accusations of perceived tolerance for racism within the government and the civil service that some blamed on programmes conducted by the National Civics Bureau (BTN).

Its a matter of attitude - Tay Tian Yan

J ULY 26, 2013

I asked my Muslim friend Johar whether work was particularly tough during the Ramadan month. He was somewhat puzzled: "Tough? Any difference?" Johar is the manager of a restaurant I frequent for my breakfast. His passion for his work and amiability have built up a good rapport between him and his customers. "What I was trying to say is that now is the fasting month but you still have to entertain your customers, sometimes helping to prepare food inside the kitchen.Won't that contravene your religion?" He replied, "That is my job. As for myself, I am still fasting." I was worried he could have misunderstood me, so I quickly clarified that I felt uneasy having him to serve me food during the fasting month. Much more relaxed now, Johar said, "So long as we don't take the food, there isn't any problem serving food to other people. My religious teacher told me, if we are

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holding food in our hands but deep inside us there is no desire for it, our heart is still sincere and pure." It appeared that I had acted overzealously. "It doesn't matter. Muslims must refrain from food during daytime in the Ramadan but you non-Muslims can still enjoy your food. This is very normal, and we all have our own ways of living." Looking at him, I really felt he was such a lovely guy. Johar is no religious cleric, no profound doctrines and morals. He is just an ordinary Muslim that upholds Malaysians' ways of living. He never grumbles about his job throughout the Ramadan. Instead, he willingly bears his job responsibility and respects the needs of his customers. That dialogue with Johar was taking place actually during the Ramadan month a couple of years ago. From what he told me, I came to understand the more open and pragmatic face of Islam. Muslims are required to refrain from food during the holy fasting month, but they would never interfere the dietary needs of non-Muslims. Moreover, Muslims can also serve food to their customers during the Ramadan. This is part of the value of Malaysia's diversity. People embracing different religions have their own beliefs and ways of living, but they will never impose the same onto other people. The incident taking place recently at a Sungai Buloh school has triggered powerful backlash in our society. Many Muslims also feel it is inappropriate for the school authorities to come up with such a ruling, thinking that such a move has violated the most fundamental mutual respect among people of different religions in this country. In a diverse and open society, everyone must respect the fasting of Muslims while the dietary needs of non-Muslims must also be equally respected. We don't care whether the school authorities have explained how clean and hygienic the changing room is, but it remains whether their intention has been that clean.

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When a group of students are made to take their lunch in a changing room, it is as if to imply that their way of living is unclean or inappropriate such that their action has to be shielded from public vision. The school facilities are open premises which can be used by any student, Muslim or non-Muslim. The point with putting non-Muslims in the changing room for lunch is not so much about the hygiene level of the changing room, but the haughty attitude that has distorted the meaning of cultural diversity. The shift in an attitude not merely affects a school, but could expand to influence the entire nation. The two opposing attitudes of restaurant manager Johar and school principle Nasir are in essence impacting the future of this nation. - mysinchew.com, July 26, 2013.

One Indians response to Art and Zaid - Rama Ramanathan

J ULY 26, 2013

Two articulate writers, both lawyers, both Muslims, both patriots, have commented on the Pristina primary school incident, which I too have commented on. Art Haruns piece is titled Once we were beautiful. Art reminisces about his schooldays in a mixed race, English-stream primary school in the sixties. He names some of his Chinese, Indian and Malay teachers. He affectingly recalls being corrected by some of them. He notes it was then normal not to fast till year 5 and it was even normal, not disrespectful, to snack while walking about. Art recounts his move to a mixed boarding school. He studied, played, ate and made mischief with friends who werent Malays. Inter-communal mixing was normal. Art laments that non-Muslims dont send their kids to national school anymore, preferring vernacular and private schools. He points out that now national schools

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require students to recite morning prayers, have walls adorned with Quranic verses and are filled with Malay/Muslim students. Arts point about the state of our schools today is: The small number of non-Malay kids also gives a sense of false superiority complex to the Malay kids as well as teachers. Thus, my race and my religion are more important than you, your religion and everything else. Art says the superiority complex is the reason why many national schools close their school canteens during Ramadan, though thats not the publicly offered reason. Arts view: Seri Pristina is only one of many national schools which close their canteens during Ramadan; canteens are closed because of a Malay superiority complex. The superiority complex arises from the Islamization of national schools and non-Muslims whove responded by sending their children to other schools. We used to be beautiful, and were journeying on a joyous path to victory. Not anymore. Datuk Zaid Ibrahims piece is titled When will kindness prevail? Zaids first sentence is cautious. He says if the reports . . . are correct. Then he marches on assuming the reports are correct. He uses words like fiasco, ugliness, marred, furore. He says he's unsurprised at the predictable responses of Ministers. He reminds us of the 2010 incident when the Principal of a school in Johor made racist remarks against her Chinese and Indian charges. [What action was taken against her? Where is she now?] Zaid gets to his explanation quickly. He says: What has happened is the result of heightened Malay-Muslim consciousness, promoted by politicians and Islamic bureaucrats who-under the cloak of race and in some cases religion or both want to be identified as champions of their race and religion. Zaid shares his vision for Malaysia: a nation of equals. To this end, he encourages non-Malays and non-Muslims to stop being overly respectful of Malays and Muslims. He encourages them to stop staying in the background and instead stand up for their rights. The astute politician adds that he recognizes this is the rightful aspiration of the young. Then he says:

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The real culprits for the present day distortion are the Malays who always blame the Chinese for their shortcomings, and the false Muslim preachers who teach the Muslims to have an all-consuming fear of God but then conveniently forget that Allah commands us to look after our fellow beings more than ourselves. What ails the country are these false teachings and false ideologies that are bereft of human decency and dignity, making meaningful relationships among the people of this country difficult to achieve. Zaids view: Seri Pristina is one of a continuing series of abuses of non-Muslim students by Malay/Muslim authorities; the root cause of the abuses is the inclination of Malay/Muslim leaders to blame the Chinese for weaknesses in their own communities; its made worse by non-Malays/Muslims resorting to submission instead of respectful challenge. Zaid wants the Prime Minister to remove the distorting prism that guides our present actions purely on the basis of race or beliefs. My view I salute Art and Zaid, both Malay/Muslims, for writing on this subject and for sharing their opinion that the root cause of this incident is an unchallenged, crude form of race/religion. I am surprised that they both quickly assumed the worst, i.e. that only non-Muslims were required to use the shower room as a makeshift canteen. I attribute their quickness to their greater watchfulness over developments amongst Malays/Muslims. I still maintain that everyone should be assumed innocent until proven guilty. The Head Master is as worthy of due process as the next suspect. [See my The Reason Cops Shouldn't Abuse Suspects.] Its worth recalling the issues in the Seri Pristina incident, which incidentally, have not been addressed by the Deputy Prime Minister (who is also the Education Minister) and the Deputy Minister for Education: Whats the government policy with respect to operators of canteens in public schools closing for business during Ramadan? How many operators of canteens in public schools closed for business this Ramadan? Whats the government policy on where non-Muslim students may eat during school hours during the month of Ramadan? Whats the government policy on closing canteen buildings during school hours? Did the administrators of

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Sekolah Seri Pristina breach any established policies? Since this is now such a public incident, when will the Ministry complete the investigation and take appropriate action, if any, at Sekolah Seri Pristina? I am an Indian, though I like to think I am neighbour first. I dont know what right I have to speak for Indians, just as I dont know what right Art and Zaid have to speak for Malays/Muslims. I suppose we speak because we can and because we feel it is part of our civic responsibility. I am regarded as an Indian; I do not downplay my Indian heritage. I am aware of the lack of credit given to my community for the growth of this nation I am aware that public schools have done little to promote self-respect amongst Indians. I am aware that Tamil schools have failed just as miserably. I am aware of the bad press my community currently has in the area of armed robbery. I am aware of frequent deaths in custody of persons from my community. I am aware of many non-Indians who stand up for Indians, and vice versa. I am also aware that many Indians use the race/sensitivity card. They adopt the Mahathir/Perkasa/Umno strategy and expect the same gains. While we ask who speaks for the Malays/Muslims, lets not fail to ask who speaks for the Indians and the Chinese. The answer, I think, is no one. Even within communities people are not homogeneous: Christians have stopped counting the number of their denominations; Muslims disagree over who can call God Allah. We have to stand up not only for our own rights, but also for the rights of others. At Sekolah Seri Pristina, and other schools nationwide, students and teachers should be reflecting on how they have stood up for the rights of persons who do not belong to their own communities. [Perhaps they are doing so. Isn't this a great time to talk in schools about minority rights?] Regardless of what actually happened in Seri Pristina and we really do need to know many of us, across racial divides, are sure that our nation and our schools

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are in bad shape because of our apathy in the face of strident, government-tolerated racism. Can we stop ranting and braying? Can we work together to make things better? How can we oppose government-tolerated racism? - July 26, 2013. Rama Ramanathan reads The Malaysian Insider.

Under-fire Seri Pristana school head denies forced to take leave

JULY 26, 2013

File photo of students having their recess in the school toilet as posted on Facebook by Guneswari Kelly.PETALING JAYA, July 26 The head of SRK Seri Pristana yesterday denied being forced to go on administrative leave after pictures of the schools students eating in a bathroom were leaked online, insisting he took the break of his own accord. He added that this was done as a precaution after receiving two alleged threats on his life. I decided to take a voluntary one weeks leave starting from today (yesterday). I have also lodged a police report at the Saujana Utama police station after I received two

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death threats, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor was quoted as saying by The Star in its report today. I decided that I needed to be away for my own safety after I got the death threats. On Tuesday, a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly posted on social network Facebook photographs that appeared to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the lavatory even as the school canteen went unoccupied. According to her, the children were directed not to use the canteen shown cordoned off in the pictures as they would dirty the area. Instead, they were told to go to the schools changing rooms and lavatories, and ordered to stay there for the duration of their recess. Yesterday, Mohd Nasir, 57, lodged the police report to protect himself after he received the death threat and was condemned by certain quarters, including on Facebook, in regards with the issue, according to news agency Bernama. At about 10am two days ago, after the picture was widely circulated over the Internet, I received a phone call from a man claiming to be a member of a non-governmental organisation. Besides condemning and bad-mouthing me, he also said If I meet you, I will kill you. Mohd Nasir told reporters after lodging the report at Saujana Utama police station here. A day after a firestorm erupted over images depicting primary schoolchildren eating in what was variably described as a toilet, a shower room and a changing room shared on social media sites, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan declared the issue closed following an apology from the school head. The eating area in the bathroom has since been closed and the children directed to once again take their meals at the school canteen. Following the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, confirmed on his Twitter page that the incident will be investigated and punishment meted to those responsible. The incident is reminiscent of a 2010 incident in Kedah where the headmistress of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau accused Chinese pupils there of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the

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fasting month of Ramadan, before ordering them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races. Although the school head later apologised, the incident and others in the same vein led to accusations of perceived tolerance for racism within the government and the civil service that some blamed on programmes conducted by the National Civics Bureau (BTN). - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/under-fire-seripristana-school-head-denies-forced-to-takeleave?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#sthash.EBYdD3Uf.dpuf

Updated: Thursday July 25, 2013 MYT 1:44:59 PM

School canteen yet to open BY LUWITA HANA RANDHAWA

School canteen

SUNGAI BULOH: It is quiet at SK Seri Pristana, following yesterdays visit by Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan.

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Kamalanathan told reporters that the schools canteen would be reopened today (on Thursday), but arriving at 9.30am, The Star Online found that the canteen was still closed and not in operation. Chairs were stacked on the tables, save for two tables at the end, suggesting that perhaps pupils could use them to sit at and have their food. No food or drink is being sold, however. Press members were escorted out of the school premises and not allowed to speak to a school representative at the office. Headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor was said not to be present. The school has come under the limelight after photos of pupils eating in a changing room went viral on social media. Kamalanathan said yesterday that the issue has been resolved, promising extensions to be made to the canteen by the end of Ramadan.

Seri Pristana headmasters daughter pleads for dad to be given a chance

BY T RI NNA LEONG J ULY 25, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 12: 13 PM

Give my father a chance to clear his name. That was the plea from Farah Asyikin to netizens who have been attacking her father Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor over the case of students being ordered to eat their meals in a shower room at the SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh.

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Mohd Nasir is the schools headmaster and since pictures of the students having their recess meals in the schools changing room on Facebook went viral, he has had no respite from netizens' attack on his decision. Farah Asyikin said as result of the furore generated by the Facebook posting her father is being investigated by the police and the Education Ministry. She pleaded to the public to stop spreading rumours about her father. I scrolled through my Facebook wall and I just couldnt bear all the fitnah (slander) that has been going on. Im crying inside. Very loud. People are talking as if they know everything, Farah Asyikin said in a Facebook post yesterday. According to Farah, the publics anger towards her father had boiled over to the point of posting horrendous comments and threatening messages on Mohd Nasirs Facebook page. Concerned and affected, the family has deactivated his account. My dad is the most motivated headmaster Ive ever met and, yes, you may think I say this out of bias as a daughter but hey, arent your dads the best dads in the whole world to you? He comes back every day from work boasting about his schools potential, about how the kids have grown better in both academics and co-curriculum, she wrote. As of yesterday evening, her post has been shared over 2,200 times. Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan yesterday at least appeared to clear Mohd Nasir while declaring the incident at the school was "not about religion or race". The deputy minister added that the headmaster had good intentions but chose a poor location. "He has apologised. I too apologise. It won't happen again," Kamalanathan said after visiting the school and declaring the issue closed. However, politicians, non-governmental organisations and even parents expressed outrage saying the matter cannot be put to rest simply with a visit to the school and an apology.

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Some had suggested that disciplinary action be taken by the Education Miinstry on Mohd Nasir over his action. - July 25, 2013.

Toilet canteen fiasco: A deliberate mischief - Ravinder Singh

J ULY 25, 2013

Disgusting is a mild adjective, for want of a better word, to describe how the headmaster of the SK Seri Pristana Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor abused his authority to provide what he claims was an alternative place for children to have their meals in the toilet-cum-canteen while the canteen proper is "undergoing renovation". But not one photo of the canteen under renovation has been shown so far, and neither did the reporters who went to the school see any renovations going on in the canteen. Without any photographic evidence of the renovations, it is just a shameless ruse to cover-up a heinous act against children in the Holy month of Ramadan, and I believe which goes against the teachings of Islam. The way the deputy education minister P. Kamalanathan ran to control the damage or "diffuse the situation" and rescue the headmaster is also deplorable. He merely repeated what the headmaster told him, i.e. that the canteen has been under repair since March. The minister's assistant, S. Yogendran had earlier stated that teachers had been assigned to take students to the toilet-cum-canteen in batches and all children, including the Malay children, had been eating there since March. Let us do some calculations to confirm S. Yogendran's explanation. The schools enrolment is said to be about 1,300 pupils. Divided into two sessions, each would

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have about 650 pupils. From the photo of the toilet-cum-canteen, it could accommodate only about 15 children at one time. This means 650 students would have to be divided into 43 groups of 15 children each for all to have their meals. If each group was given only 10 minutes, that would require 430 minutes, or 7 hours to the nearest hour. A school session does not last 7 hours. From 7.30am to 1.00pm it is 5 hours and 30 minutes or 330 minutes. At this rate, recess would have to start at 7.30am and run continuously till 1.00pm for the morning session, and from 1.00pm to 6.30pm for the afternoon session. Classes would have to be disrupted as all the 40 or so children in a class could not go out together. Worse still, each day, only about 500 could take a 10-minute canteen break while another 150 would have to go without any recess. Remember, if children were allowed to eat outside the canteen proper, they would dirty the place, so they had to be confined to some proper place to have their meals without dirtying the corridors, etc. The only suitable place available was the restroom with attached baths and toilets. It could be considered better than the canteen as the canteen proper does not have attached baths and toilets. Now, could Kamalanathan, Yogendran, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor, or anybody else tell us why renovations have to be done during school days and during Ramadan? The 7-week, end-of-year school holiday starts on 16 November, and that is not far off. Could anyone also explain the nature of renovations being carried out considering that this school building is only a few years old and very modern? How could the planners not have provided enough canteen space to accommodate about 400 children, as it is the norm to have two recess periods for each school session? A photograph has appeared in the newspapers showing the headmaster and a few others, said to be teachers, breaking fast in the mini canteen with attached baths and toilets. This only proves hypocrisy. A downright bluff in the holy month of Ramadan. How low can people go to deceive the world? Schools close at around 5.30pm during Ramadan. Why were the headmaster and teachers breaking fast in this toilet-cum-canteen when they could have done so in the comfort of the teachers' air-conditioned meeting room or staff room? Were these under renovation also? The picture was

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provided by the chairman of the parent-teacher association (PTA) Hussein Mohd Ariff. He is an accomplice, for the PTA is said to have approved the use of this toiletcum-canteen in the first place. To sound convincing, the deputy minister said that the school's PTA committee had discussed and approved the use of the mini canteen with attached baths and toilets. Who makes up the PTA committee? Fifty percent are teachers and another fifty percent parents with the HM acting as secretary and adviser. By the way, is the PTA committee in this school multiracial / multicultural? Is there even one non-Malay on it? Would any teacher on the PTA committee dare to oppose any proposal from the HM? So at the end of the day, it is the HM and PTA chairman who carry the day. It is recorded as the collective decision of the PTA committee and the endorsement then becomes a faade to hide behind in case of something going awry. When one is caught with his pants down, one would try anything to cover his exposed parts. It is relevant to relate an incident that happened in a premier secondary school in Sungai Petani, i.e. SM Ibrahim, in the 1980's. The ban on Dr. M's book "The Malay Dilemma" had been lifted after the author became PM. Dr M's description of the non-Malays as "pendatang" was being freely used by racists at any opportunity. It was even used in Parliament. One morning at a school assembly the principal of this school gave a "history" talk on the coming of non-Malays to Malaysia and had referred to them as "pendatang". After the assembly, the dozen or so non-Malay teachers in the school went to see him over this. He denied ever saying "pendatang-pendatang". He said the word he used was "pedagang-pedagang". Were all the dozen or so teachers semi-deaf? Is the pronunciation of "pendatang" so close to that of "pedagang" that one could easily mistake one for the other? Kamalanathan and the whole education ministry can claim there was nothing racial about the incident. But we have often heard it said that the non-Malays should respect the Malays during Ramadhan by not eating in their presence. Those who say this claim that the sight of people eating makes those fasting tempted to eat and it affects the sanctity of the fasting.

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In the context of this it can be safely assumed that the school did not want the Muslim children who are fasting to have sight of the non-Muslims eating. So, the best solution was to hide the non-Muslim students somewhere and there was no better place than the mini canteen with bath and toilet attached. Out of sight, out of mind. This had to be done very subtly. So the "renovation" strategy was planned and implemented. Closing of school canteens during Ramadan is a common and widespread practice. At least, Kamalanathan has clarified that the renovation was nothing but a changing of the door to the teachers' eating room in a corner of the canteen. Why do this on the day Ramadan starts? This is not something so urgent. There are no valuables in the room that need to be secured. It could be done on a Saturday, just a day's work. And yet Kamalanathan does not see the mischief behind the "renovation" ruse to close the whole canteen which is untouched by the door-changing? Then why speak forcefully in defense of the school? He said the incident had no racial colouring, but was due to concerns for hygiene and logistics problems? What hype is this? Please don't take us to be fools. If we take the racial element out, then the school administrator must be a mentally unsound person as no sane person would do such a thing. A school head is supposed to be like a father or mother to the pupils, and no mother or father would make his/her children eat in a washroom/toilet. The school head should then be medically boarded out for being of unsound mind. As a Muslim, and in the holy month of Ramadan, did he follow the teachings of the Quran? Supposing his son or daughter were in a Chinese or Tamil school, would he thank the school for providing an alternative place for his child to sit at a table and eat when the school canteen proper was under "renovation", even if the alternative place was a similar mini canteen with attached bath and toilet, just like in his school? Is it not stated somewhere in the Holy Book that one should not do to another what one does not want the other to do to him? Or was he under pressure from the chairman of the PTA? * Ravinder Singh reads The Malaysian Insider.

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Dont just solve the problem, hold school responsible for ordering kids to eat in shower room, says Guan Eng
BY T RI NNA LEONG J ULY 25, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 10: 54 PM

Punish those responsible for ordering non-Muslim students to eat in the shower room during recess, said DAP's Lim Guan Eng. In a statement released today, Lim called for stern action after authorities decided to "close the case" that occurred at SK Seri Pristana. Solving the problem is one thing but punishing those responsible is equally important to ensure that such incidents do not recur," said the DAP secretarygeneral. The school located in Sungai Buloh, a 15-minute drive from Kuala Lumpur, came into the spotlight after a parent posted on Facebook photos of students having their recess in a shower room. The post that was up on Monday quickly went viral, causing uproar among Malaysians over the schools poor treatment of its non-Muslim students. The education ministry launched a probe on Tuesday and by yesterday evening, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said that the issue is resolved and that the canteen will be reopened today. Lim, however, argued that the ministry's quick closure of the case would only be seen as a cover-up if no further actions are taken against the parties involved.

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Furthermore, Lim said that the photos of policemen with weapons standing guard outside the school sennt a wrong message. "It is as though the authorities were preventing parents from seeking answers. Unhappy with Kamalanathan's passive response, Lim urged the government to take stern action to eliminate the feeling of victimisation felt by non-Muslims. A strong message must be sent that civil servants must respect the sensitivities and rights of all communities. Failure to do so will only accelerate the negative perception that the sensitivities and rights of non-Muslims can be trampled upon without punishment, he said.

Ramai bekas guru salahkan pentadbiran SK Seri Pristina

OLEH RI T A JONG DAN JENNI FER GOMEZ J ULY 25, 2013

Pentadbiran Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Seri Pristina di Sungai Buloh patut menangani masalah melalui pendekatan lebih wajar, kata beberapa bekas pendidik. Guru bersara, Ng Yoke Keng, 64, berkata, guru pada zamannya sentiasa mendidik murid bukan Islam supaya tidak makan atau minum depan murid beragama Islam. Kami didik murid bukan Islam betapa kurang ajar jika berbuat demikian depan murid yang berpuasa," katanya. Beliau mengakui kesungguhan pentadbiran sekolah itu untuk menghormati murid Islam yang berpuasa tetapi mereka patut memilih lokasi yang lebih baik kepada murid bukan Islam. Macam mana kita pandang gambar itu, ia tetap salah. Tidak patut mengarahkan murid menikmati juadah di bilik mandi," katanya. Hampir di setiap sekolah, beliau yang sebelum ini mengajar di sekolah Cina, berkata satu bilik khas disediakan untuk guru bukan Islam untuk makan minum.

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Ng menyifatkan kualiti guru pada masa ini 'sangat berbeza' tetapi meminta semua pihak jangan sampai menghukum hanya kerana 'sebiji pisang busuk dalam setandan.' Bekas Pengetua St Michael's Institution Ipoh, Balasubramaniam Kuppusamy, 74, pula menyifatkan kejadian di SK Seri Pristina itu hanya kes terpencil. "Belum ada gambaran tepat mengenai kejadian yang berlaku. Mungkin bilik mandi itu kelihatan sesuai kerana ada sinki untuk digunakan murid," katanya. Jika benar Persatuan Ibu Bapa dan Guru (PIBG) meluluskan penggunaan bilik mandi itu, katanya, guru besar sekolah berkenaan mesti memaklumkan semua keluarga murid. "Dengan itu, guru besar boleh dapat maklum balas yang membantunya membuat keputusan sama ada terus menggunakan bilik air itu atau sebaliknya," kata beliau. Memberi penekanan kepada kepentingan budaya kehidupan, Balasubramiam percaya masalah itu tidak berlaku jika semua pihak memahami sensitiviti dan norma masyarakat berbilang kaum di negara ini. "Golongan pendidik masa sekarang kurang kemahiran itu. Mereka memang ada mempelajarinya tetapi tidak sepenuh penghayatan," katanya. - 25 Julai, 2013

Why I decided to stop teaching after 19 years - Bernard Khoo

J ULY 25, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 02: 45 PM

How different is education today, I was asked, compared with education when I was an educator? Well, if I lasted 19 years as a teacher, it must have been a tolerable profession. Key operative word is tolerable despite the fact that in the mid-1960s, we teachers throughout the country went on strike to seek better remuneration. When I opted to come back from Singapore after her separation from Malaysia to continue to make teaching my career my late meter-reader father warned me about the responsibility the job entailed.

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I already got you a job at LLN (now Tenaga) through Raja Zainal (then CEO)," he said. He continued: "As a teacher you are responsible for ALL students in your class. They spend more hours with you than with their parents. If one goes astray, you have failed as the teacher! He sure threw a bucket of cold water on my vocation. I stuck to teaching, emboldened by the challenge that I had, to emulate my former teachers, the men who nurtured me for this noble profession. I spent 10 years in a Sentul school after which I was assigned to another to stem the drug indiscipline in that school. So, why did I throw all this away, besides the loss of pension and gratuity after 19 years? After 1970, all schools were converted into government or government assisted schools and the Bahasa Kebangsaan (Bahasa Malaysia) would be the medium of instruction. Three months of inservice course to learn Bahasa was deemed sufficient for one to be proficient in this new medium of instruction. I plodded on, even on occasions when I was just three pages ahead of my students. That was the policy and I tried to do my best. And then I witnessed the insidious part race and religion snaked into the profession. When handball was introduced in the sports curriculum I purchased the necessary. I was called into the office to justify why I purchased handball made from pig skin. I produced the ball that had the offending word pigment imprinted on it. When the omnipotent words - race, religion and quota - took precedence over merit that resulted in shameless polarisation that then divided our student body, I wanted no part of this system and forfeited one months salary in lieu of immediate resignation. They say that once a teacher, always a teacher. I continued teaching as an internationally certified corporate trainer and coach, where race and religion could not find a foothold in multi-national corporations but lost a lucrative contract with a statutory body when it was revealed that I was an anti-establishment blogger. So whats new with this latest episode of the dressing room canteen?

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The politicising of race and religion will continue unabated so we former teachers just pray that one day this beautiful country and its people can live together in harmony and undivided by people who use race and religion to control. - July 25, 2013.

Isolated incident but Sungai Buloh school should be more culturally-sensitive, educators say
BY RI T A JONG AND JENNI FER GOMEZ J ULY 25, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 01: 03 PM

With the focus on the headmaster who consigned his non-Muslim pupils to his schools shower room for lunch, what do other educators say about the fiasco that the Deputy Education Minister is in a rush to call case closed? A check with senior and retired teachers found them generally reluctant to criticise the headmaster of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh but still agreed on one thing, that the school could have dealt with the situation in a better way. Retired teacher Ng Yoke Keng, 64, pointed out that in almost every school, there is a special room for teachers, which could have been used for the non-Muslims to have their meals. One bad apple should not ruin the entire basket, she cautioned, but added, Whichever way you look at this picture, it is wrong. There is no way the pupils should have been told to have their meals in the shower room. University lecturer and former principal Balasubramaniam Kuppusamy, 74, also cautioned that this was an isolated incident. There is still no clear picture of what really transpired. The shower room may have seemed suitable as there were sinks there for the pupils to use.

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But he also pointed out that if it was true that the schools parent teachers association had approved using the shower room, the onus was on the principal to inform all the other parents. "That way, he could have obtained feedback, which would have helped him decide whether to go ahead with that option," said Balasubramaniam, the former principal of St Michael's Institution Ipoh. Najib Ahmad, who teaches at a school in Sungai Besi was of the opinion that only a teacher would understand why such decisions were made. There could be various reasons, for example in this case, the canteen was closed. And children being children, they would make a mess when eating, so they would need to find an area where sinks are nearby. I wouldnt say what the school did was wrong, but I have to admit maybe that was not the appropriate place, he said, referring to the shower room being used as the makeshift canteen. A college lecturer who only wanted to be identified as Azahar felt the issue has been blown out of proportion and made worse by a principal who was not ready to face the barrage of publicity. Although Azahar felt it was wrong for the headmaster to make the pupils eat in the shower room, he pointed out that it only involved a handful of them. "It used to happen even when I was in school, the canteen was closed but the headmaster put up a canopy with tables and chairs and the pupils ate there," he said. Earlier yesterday Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan said the incident at the school was "not about religion or race", adding that as far as he was concerned, the issue was resolved. But was there a need to be more culturally-sensitive all around? Ng, who taught in a Chinese school, indicated she had no quarrel with the intention to have non-Muslim children have their meals out of plain sight, but she objected only to the place that they were consigned. She said that during her time, teachers always told non-Muslim pupils not to display their food or eat in front of Muslim students.

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We explained to the non-Muslims pupils that it was plain rude to do so. She had no doubt that the intention of the school authorities in this case were good, to respect the Muslims who were fasting but added they should have chosen a more suitable place for the non-Muslims to have their meal during recess. When Najib Ahmad was asked how culturally-sensitive teachers were nowadays, he said: There are always two sides to every coin. I dont think their judgmental skills have deteriorated, but teachers will just have to do what they feel is most suitable considering the surrounding circumstances. Balasubramiam was more clear that educators seemed to be less culturallysensitive. The former principal argued that if everyone could understand the values, norms and sensitivities of other races, situations like these could be avoided. "The trend among educators now is that they are lacking in this skill. They have learnt it, but have not internalised it. But when asked if it was any better during his time, Balasubramaniam added, It was the same situation, some cared, others were not interested." July 25, 2013.

Sungai Buloh school fiasco resolved, its not about race or religion - deputy minister
BY Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 06: 55 PM

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The issue of non-Muslim pupils being ordered to have their meals in a Sungai Buloh school shower room is not related to race or religion, said the Education Ministry. Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan (pic), who visited the school this afternoon, said the shower room has been used as a canteen since March, and not since the beginning of the fasting month. "Let me make this clear. This is not about religion or race," he said, adding that the matter has been resolved. It was reported that non-Muslims were ordered to eat their meals during recess in the makeshift canteen in the shower room during the Ramadan month. Kamalanathan said the issue had been blown out of proportion. "It happened to be that the canteen renovation started one to two weeks ago," he said, stressing that the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) was aware of what the school administration had done. "What happened was very unfortunate but his (the headmaster) intention was good, he said at a press conference after meeting the school administration and the PTA today. Headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor was not present and, when asked, Kamalanathan said he was "in a meeting". He was however spotted walking around the school with Kamalanathan before the press conference. "The headmaster has apologised and we accept it," Kamalanathan said.

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He noted that the headmaster only wanted the students to have a safe place to eat their meals as the canteen could not accommodate all its students. It was built for about 600 students but there were 1,300 pupils. The changing room was to be a temporary venue. "Previously, they had to eat by the drain and other unsafe areas but after this I will make sure they only eat here in the canteen since the renovation work has ended," Kamalanathan said. He said that the issue must not be made into one that incites racial sentiments as the matter at hand is only about an inappropriate dining venue. Kamalanathan refused to be drawn on why it was difficult to provide suitable space for 28 non-Muslim students to have their recess break when the school has a large compound. It has been done now, he said. He maintained the pupils had to have their meals in the changing room for their own safety. He said the school had been changing the glass door at the canteen and the administration had feared for the pupils safety. The ministry will also be assisting the four-year-old school to enlarge its canteen, he added. "Hopefully in the Syawal month, there will be a new place for all the students to eat and no other rooms need to be used." He also offered to donate some funds to help in the renovation work. Parents who were present at the venue disputed Kamalanathan's explanation. Two parents said pupils were only placed in the changing room after the fasting month started. "Why would we wait this long to voice out our dissatisfaction if this has been going on since March?, said M. Neeta, 30, whose daughter is studying in the school. She expressed shock that Kamalanathan insisted it had been happening since March. "He must talk to the parents too... I'm not happy with this," the heavily pregnant mother said. T. Devi, 38, whose sister's daughter attends the school, echoed Neeta's sentiments. "This opinion and remarks are very biased."

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Several NGO members who were present lodged a police report to record their dissatisfaction after Kamalanathan left the school. K. Gunasekaran from the Malaysian Tamilan Today (MTT) said the contradicting explanations simply did not add up. Dr K. Suthan from the Malaysian Indian Education Transformation Association (MIETA) shared his view. The Malaysian Insider was told to leave the premises by an unnamed PTA member when asked if the changing room had been used since March. - July 24, 2013.

Toilet canteen': No evil intention, says deputy minister

It is just a bad decision by the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Pristina to allocate the shower room for children to have their meals while the canteen was being renovated, said Education deputy minister. As such, P Kamalanathan said there was no evil intention as had been widely charged on the part of the school. As far as we know, the issue is now closed. The headmaster has the good intention but chosen an unsuitable place. He has apologised. I have also apologised. It will not happen again, Kamalanathan told Sinar Harian following a visit to the school. Yesterday, the school shot to fame after photos showing non-Muslim students eating in what looked like a toilet went viral on the internet. Netizens both Muslims and non-Muslims took turn condemning the treatment on the children, while many have also interpreted through racial lenses, and called for headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor's sacking.

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But Kamalanathan explained that all students had been using the changing room apart from the canteen since March because the canteen could only fit 500 to 600 students, half of Sri Pristina's 1300 population. Following the renovation works in the canteen that started two weeks ago, all students were asked to have meals in the changing room. This is because teachers were worried about the safety of the students during renovation works, he added. - Harakahdaily

The canteen issue isnt a small matter

July 25, 2013

Deputy Education Minister Kamalanathan does not really understand the gravity of the situation, especially amongst non-Muslim children in schools.
COMMENT

By P Ramasamy More than 50 years of BN/Umnos political hegemony has meant not the resolution of outstanding ethnic and religious problems, but their perpetuation in different and nefarious ways. In a specific sense, the government in power has the tendency to cover up matters especially those that touch on racial and religious sensitivities. One such recent case involved non-Muslim children being told to use the shower/bathroom place to have their meals during the month of Ramadan at SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. A parent who visited the school highlighted the matter later to be picked by the social media and the press. As a result of this exposure, there was a hue and cry, parents and

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the general public asking the authorities to take swift action against the school authorities. The matter was serious. It was a case of non-Muslim children being penalised during the month of Ramadan. It was only natural that the authorities would swoop down and take the necessary action. However, to everyones dismay, the arrival of Deputy Education Minister, P Kamalanathan was nothing to celebrate. Knowing very well that he has a close relationship with Umno leaders, the parent and the public were in for a big disappointment. Kamalanathan having lost the trust of the Indian community on the matriculation matter, added fuel to the fire by trying to defuse the canteen issue. He was quick to dismiss the matter as non-racial and non-religious and defended the headmaster by saying that the latter had good intention but chose the wrong place to allow the children to have their meals. More than this, he went out of his way to say that since the canteen was undergoing renovation, the school had no choice but to make a temporary make-shift place for nonMuslims children to have their meals. He also announced that renovation of the canteen was almost completed and that the children would have their meals there once again. He even promised a special allocation for the school including his own amounting to RM10.000. He even said since the headmaster has apologised the matter should be left to rest. Unable to explain matters clearly to angry parents, he even tendered his own personal apology to parents who were gathered there. Umno maintaining hegemony Kamalanathan who is noted for servility to Umno leaders does not really understand the gravity of the situation, especially amongst non-Muslim children in schools. Public schools known for their racial and religious intolerance continue to insult and marginalise children belonging to faiths other Islam. The canteen issue is one issue. In the past there have been numerous instances where non-Malay/Muslim children have been insulted and humiliated by racist teachers and headmasters. To date the education ministry or its top officials have not done anything to rectify matters.

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There is no point in calling for national reconciliation after the last general election, when Umno is bent on revitalising a hegemonic set up. In this context, the social, cultural and educational realms are used by those in power to produce and perpetuate this hegemonic set up which is racist and diabolical nature. P Ramasamy is Penangs Deputy Chief Minister 2.

Dont cover up the canteen incident

P Ramani and B Nantha Kumar | July 25, 2013

Deputy Education Minister Kamalanathan should further investigate and punish those responsible for the SK Seri Pristana controversy, and not just cover-up the problem.

PETALING JAYA: Penang Chief Minister and DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng today expressed disappointment over the haste shown by Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanthan in closing the SK Seri Pristana canteen controversy without giving a full explanation. Lim said such hastiness in closing the controversy would be seen as a cover-up unless Kamalanathan could explain why the parents were not informed that the canteen would be relocated to the shower room due to renovations. Photos of non-Muslim children eating on makeshift tables set up in the schools shower room, next to the toilets, went viral after a parent posted it on the net, generating a storm of protests. Angry netizens poured scorn on the school management for their decision to discriminate against the non-Muslim children by forcing them to have their meals in the shower area during recess.

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Lim said Kamalanathan should have done more than merely solving the problem by relocating the canteen out of the shower room. Solving the problem is one thing but punishing the one responsible is equally important to ensure that such incidents do not recur, said Lim. The Bagan MP added that the public need to know how such incidents could have happened in the first place as it was humiliating for children to eat in a shower room that was converted into a makeshift canteen. Strong reminder to civil servants Lim said a strong message must be sent to the civil servants in reminding them to respect the sensitivities and rights of all communities. Failure to do so will only accelerate the negative perception that the sensitivities and rights of non-Muslims can be trampled upon without punishment. Such negative perception can easily turn to a feeling of victimisation by non-Muslims, said Lim. He cited an example on failure of the Barisan Nasional federal government to punish unapologetic Perkasa leaders for their extremist calls to burn the Malay Bibles and make anti-Hindu insults. DAP is also saddened by the pictures of policemen with heavy weapons standing guard outside the school in Sungai Buloh, holding back angry parents and their friends, he added. Meanwhile, MIC Youth chief T Mohan urged the school administration not to create racial tension on the matter. In a press statement today, Mohan said the core issue was using the changing room as canteen, and not of a Malay headmaster discriminating non-Malay pupils. There is no race or religion involved in this fiasco, he said. Mohan said by making Muslim schoolchildren and teachers buka puasa in the same place on the day the news first broke out looked like the school administration was trying to justify their action. Do not commit another wrong to justify a wrong committed earlier, he said. He added that an apology from the ministry was not enough in this matter. The school has committed a big mistake and those responsible must be punished, he said.

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Mohan said the ministry should conduct a thorough investigation since it was possible that other schools were also facing the same situation.

Schools peculiar arrangement Lim Sue Goan

JULY 25, 2013

JULY 25 It is an undeniable fact that a schools arrangement to make students eat in changing rooms is unfair and unreasonable, regardless of whatever the reason. Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohamad Noor explained that the changing rooms were turned into dining areas for students since March as the canteen could not accommodate all students. The explanation is doubtful. If the canteen could not accommodate all students, 500 for the morning session and 600 for the afternoon session, then why the changing rooms with smaller space were chosen? How are they going to accommodate a few hundred students? The canteen should be larger than the changing rooms and it should not be a problem for students to eat standing outside the canteen. Why didnt the school let students eat in vacant rooms or the hall? There were shower stalls in the changing rooms and there was a toilet next door. The environment was unsanitary and smelly. If the changing rooms are turned into a long-term dining area for school administration staff members, could they endure it? The school also claimed that the canteen was closed since last week for minor renovation but reporters on the scene could see no renovation work, but it was just cordoned off, not allowing anyone to use it. The controversy was reminiscent of racial remarks allegedly made by national secondary school principals. In August 2010, the principal of a school in Bukit Selambau, Sungai Petani allegedly scolded several non-Muslims students for taking breakfast at the school compound, saying that they were insensitive because Muslim students were fasting. He told off the students that they must respect every races culture, or they should balik negara asal China (go back to their native country China). In Kulai, Johor, the principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra also allegedly told Chinese students to go back to China and said the Indians looked like dogs when they wore their prayer strings. Both incidents caused an uproar.

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Education should tolerate no discrimination. Principals are mentors to students and they should never demonstrate a bad example. If discrimination takes place even in schools, how are students being cultivated under such an environment know how to respect other races and religions, and accept diversity? Students being discriminated have to bear psychological pressure since young and how are they going to integrate into a multiracial society when they grow up? Racial harmony must start from schools, and schools should not be the root of a split. The government has been committed to making national schools the peoples top choice to promote national integration. However, the goal would be difficult to achieve if such acts are not stopped. Thankfully, many Muslims netizens have responded in a rational manner. They questioned why the school could not get a more appropriate location for students to eat. One of them wrote: Should they be treated in such a way? Is our faith so weak that we need other students to eat in a changing room? In the Internet era, there is no way to cover any kinds of irrational act. Those who are bearing social responsibility must be self-restraint and learn how to tolerate different cultures. To avoid controversy, the Education Ministry must also prepare a set of Ramadan month guidelines for schools, including opening school canteens for non-Muslim students. Any persons violating the guidelines should face disciplinary actions. It is not easy to maintain racial harmony. Most importantly, preventive measures must be taken to avoid the problems from evolving into crises. mysinchew.com - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/schoolspeculiar-arrangement-lim-suegoan?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#sthash.M5VIFGMd.dpuf

I was ordered to go on leave, says HM

G Lavendran | July 25, 2013

The SK Seri Pristana headmaster claims he was ordered to go on leave before the Education Ministry decided on actions to be taken.

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PETALING JAYA: The SK Seri Pristana headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor had not gone into hiding after all when he surfaced today claiming that he was forced to go on leave while the issue over the school canteen was sorted out. SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh came under the spot light when photos of students having their meals on makeshift tables in the shower room went viral on the internet. The issue which sparked anger among netizens and concerned citizens caught the attention of the Education Ministry almost immediately. According to Utusan Malaysia today, Mohd Nasir said he was ordered to go on leave for a week before the ministry could decide on taking necessary actions. Mohd Nasir said this when he went to the Saujana Utama police station this morning to lodge a report claiming he had been slandered. I lodged a police report because I was disappointed with the behaviour of some parents and other individuals when they slandered me by saying I had behaved like an uncivilised man. I even received threatening phone calls, some of them would call just to curse at me, he said. Mohd Nasir said the only reason he had ordered the use of the shower room was because there was lack of space in the canteen to accommodate all the students. The sun would shine directly into the canteen in the mornings and students often sit by the drains around the canteen as it is much cooler there. I felt sorry as it was unhygienic to eat by the drains, So, I decided to put in makeshift tables and benches in the shower room which was not fully utilised, he added. I also put up a notice to ban students from using the shower room to relieve themselves and locked the water pipes too.

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Moreover, the shower room had been cleaned and has sinks for students to wash their hands before and after meal, he said. Following the uproar, the Education Ministry has ordered for the school canteen to be renovated so that it could accommodate all the students. The school had previously stated that the canteen was closed since March as it was undergoing a minor renovation work. The school and the ministry had also apologised over the use of the shower room as a makeshift canteen. The school canteen was opened for the students use today,

SK Seri Pristana headmaster ordered to go on a weeks leave

J ULY 25, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 05: 49 PM

SK Sri Pristana headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor has been ordered to take a weeks leave as controversy rages on over the Sungai Buloh school's non-Muslim pupils having their recess in the schools changing room. Mohamad Nasir told Utusan Malaysia the Selangor Education Department was expected to complete its investigations over the controversy by the time he returned to work. He spoke to the Malay daily after making a police report at the Saujana Utama police station where he claimed he had been slandered by parents and interest groups over his decision to use the school changing room as a temporary canteen. Mohamad Nasir made the report at the Saujana Utama police station at 11am today. Contacted by Utusan, Mohamad Nasir said he made the report as he was disappointed with some parents and various parties for slandering him and claiming that he was uncivilised. "I had received a telephone call where the caller abused and threatened me following the slanderous reports, he said. Mohamad Nasir said a blog had slandered him by claiming that he had ordered nonMuslim pupils to have their recess meals during Ramadhan in the school's toilet.

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However, Mohamad Nasir, said this was not the case as he had told school pupils to use the changing room since March. He said the decision to use the changing room was made as the schools canteen is small and could not cater to the large pupils population. He said some of the pupils also refused to eat in the canteen as the heat from the rays of the morning sun made it hot. He said many of them instead choose to eat by the side of a drain. "I found the area beside the drain to be dirty so I put them in the changing room which was not being used, he said. He told the Malay daily the pupils seldom used the changing room as they came dressed in their sports attire or uniforms on the days they had sports or extra curricular activity. He said the school had ensured the changing room was clean and it had a sink where the pupils could wash their hands after meals. - July 25, 2013.

SK Seri Pristana canteen opened this afternoon to non-Muslim pupils

BY Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY AND RUEBELI NE RUEBEN J ULY 25, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 05: 37 PM

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NonMuslim children are seen here eating peacefully at the once-closed canteen in SK Sero Pristana in Sungai Buloh today. The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, July 25, 2013.After

all the controversy

surrounding the use of the shower room for non-Muslim pupils during recess, the SK Seri Pristana school canteen was opened again this afternoon. Pupils were seen seated in the canteen, having their meals during the afternoon break. School authorities had earlier claimed that the non-Muslim pupils were ordered into the shower room as the canteen was closed for renovations. It was also revealed today that the make-shift canteen in the shower room was closed with the tables and chairs removed. A parent, Major Hardeep Singh, said the pupils were told by the teachers today that they can start using the canteen. "I went and checked and found that the shower room has also been made off limits with the tables and chairs taken out." Hardeep said that what happened was very unfortunate and hoped that it would serve as a lesson to the school authorities. "What is important, is that unwanted events like this do not jeopardise the strong ties we Malaysians share, especially in schools where children are nurtured about our collective values."

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Another parent who did not want to be identified, said she has decided to take her daughter out of the school. "Looking at the way this issue has been handled by the school and the way it has gone viral on Facebook, I do not want my daughter to be here any longer," said the woman who was leaving the school premises after settling the paperwork. At about 2.15pm several women were seen cleaning the tables in the canteen. The school's parent-teachers association head Hussein Mohd Arif said that he is glad the matter has been resolved as the school has been put under immense pressure. - July 25, 2013
NONSENSE ... if sharing photos of children eating lunch in the toilet/bathroom/washroom to raise awareness of the filth of the matter, is to be a crime called sedition .. we have got a problem ... what difference will it be with a person who cried rape and reported it and ended up in jail for reporting? is this sedition? or sedation? ... the message is clear then ... teach schoolchildren to be blind of the injustices around them and to keep secrets even if they themselves are inflicted injuctices upon them ... we will then have a society that will not care ... youth walking away even if an old lady get mugged and maimed bloodied by the sidewalk and nobody cares ... what a pathological condition we hope our children will not be thrown into ... by the adults of the society whose sense of maturity is now worse than a one year old baby -- ar

Thursday, 25 July 2013 18:19

Now, police threaten Sedition Act on those who spread photos of 'toilet canteen'
Written by Wong Choon Mei, Malaysia Chronicle Now, police threaten Sedition Act on those who spread photos of 'toilet canteen' PETALING JAYA - Irresponsible individuals who spread photos of the non-Muslim pupils forced to eat in the dressing room of a school toilet can be investigated under the Sedition Act 1948, said Selangor acting police chief Datuk A Thaiveegan.

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According to Thaiveegan, such action could create provocative and racial issues. "Police will not hesitate to take action against those who disseminate seditious information about the school on the social networking sites," he was reported as saying by Utusan Online on Thursday. Photos first published on Facebook showing some Chinese and Indian pupils forced to eat near to a toilet because the headmaster had purportedly ordered the canteen to be closed so as to respect the Muslim fasting month had sparked outrage. Muslim hardliners and the Malay-ultra gaining the upper hand? The Education ministry has since ordered a probe into the school, the Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh, but has failed to make public its findings. Thaiveegan's comments are bound to spark another furore. Civil society leaders and activists are already alarmed at the manner in Prime Minister Najib Razak's government appears to be resorting to draconian laws to stop criticism and dissent, with many authorities and agencies frequently using the flimsiest grounds to support their hardline actions. A recent example is the Alvivi case, where two young Chinese bloggers had published an insulting Ramadan greeting on their Facebook page. In a prosecution reeking of racism, the government slapped on charges using 3 major laws including the Sedition Act, which ironically Najib had promised to abolish. Alvin and Vivian were also unfairly denied bail and forced to stay in prison for more than a week before the High Court finally overturned the bail denial today. All eyes including from the international community are now on how the Najib administration navigates the current spate of racial and religious bullying. Many fear a return to power by Muslim hardliners and Malay supremacists following Najib's weak performance in the recent general elections, where he failed to stop the Pakatan Rakyat opposition coalition from further eroding his Barisan Nasional's majority. No wonder we don't want to send our kids to your schools Within the BN coalition, there are contrasting responses to the latest 'toilet canteen' incident, with an official of the Malaysian Chinese Association lambasting the school authorities and demanding an explanation. "This makeshift canteen has fully exposed the school for their lack of sensitivity and complete disregard for health codes. Since the Ministry of Education has ordered an investigation, I hope they can announce the findings and give a full account to the parents and the public," Chong Sin Woon, the MCA Youth Education Bureau chairman, said in a statement. "For some time now the non-Muslim and Chinese communities have shown reluctance in sending their children to Sekolah Kebangsaan for fear of ones religious values imposed on others. The Ministry of Education must address this issue, more so during this Ramadan month when the incident had caused a furore and dealt a further blow in the communities trust and confidence regarding Sekolah Kebangsaan." Selling out his own community?

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The Malaysian Indian Congress has however rushed to defend the school authorities in a bid that is widely perceived to be aimed at getting into the good books of Najib's Malay-based Umno party. As far as we know, the issue is now closed. The headmaster has the good intention but chosen an unsuitable place. He has apologised. I have also apologised. It will not happen again, MP for Hulu Selangor P Kamalanathan told Sinar Harian following a visit to the school. "The changing rooms had been used along with the canteen by all students since March, because the canteen can only seat 500 to 600 people. SK Seri Pristana has 1,300 students. Due to renovations beginning in the canteen two weeks ago, all children were asked to eat in the changing rooms. This is because teachers were concerned the kids might get hurt during renovations." Stop covering up and just lay down the law fairly and squarely for all, regardless of race DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng has accused the MIC of a cover up, blaming the Najib administration for the rising racism in the country due to its reluctance to punish ultra-Malay groups like Perkasa. "Such nervous hastiness in closing the controversy will be seen as a cover-up unless Kamalanathan can explain why the parents were not informed since March this year that the canteen will be relocated to the shower room because of renovations. Further why were there no signs of renovation of the canteen? If the renovation has been only recently completed, why was the canteen not reopened? Lastly how can Kamalanathan fail to address the parents complaints that their children were only asked to eat in the makeshift canteen in the shower room two days into Ramadan?" Guan Eng said in a statement. "The failure of the BN Federal government to punish unapologetic Perkasa leaders for its racist and extremist calls to burn the Bible and make anti-Hindu insults, when the young Alvivi couple was rightfully charged in court for being disrespectful to Islam even though they had apologised, clearly does not help to refute allegations of double-standards."

Action against those who posted meals-intoilet pictures on Facebook

JULY 25, 2013

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Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim (right) points out the details of the temporary canteen to Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan Picture by Shahir Omar SUBANG JAYA, July 25 Individuals responsible for uploading and spreading pictures of non-Muslim pupils eating in a locker room on Facebook recently can be investigated under the Sedition Act 1948, Utusanreported today. Selangor acting police chief Datuk A. Thaiveegan said this is because the individual actions can create provocative and racial issues. Police will not hesitate to take action on behalf of seditious disseminate information on social networking site on issues involving the school, he was quotted by Utusan. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/action-against-thosewho-posted-meals-in-toilet-pictures-onfacebook?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook#sthash.5H9YN5uE.dpuf

APA PULAK NI? Sebar gambar murid makan di bilik persalinan boleh didakwa - Ketua Polis Selangor

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Tindakan tidak bertanggungjawab individu yang menyebarkan gambar di laman Facebook mengenai murid sekolah bukan beragama Islam makan di dalam bilik persalinan baru-baru ini boleh disiasat mengikut Akta Hasutan 1948. Pemangku Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk A. Thaiveegan berkata, ini kerana tindakan individu terbabit boleh menimbulkan isu provokatif dan perbalahan kaum. "Polis tidak akan teragak-agak mengenakan tindakan kepada pihak yang menyebarkan maklumat berbaur hasutan di laman sosial berkenaan isu yang membabitkan sekolah berkenaan," katanya. Beliau berkata demikian kepada pemberita selepas menyampaikan sijil penghargaan kepada 26 anggota Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) yang menunjukkan khidmat cemerlang di Ibu Pejabat Polis Daerah (IPD) di sini hari ini. Gambar yang didedahkan dalam laman sosial sejak tiga hari lalu menunjukkan beberapa murid bukan Islam di Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Sungai Buloh sedang makan di dalam bilik persalinan atau tandas kononnya gara-gara kegagalan pengurusan sekolah menjaga kepentingan murid bukan Islam. - Utusan Online

Mother in Seri Pristana row claims child threatened

JULY 26, 2013

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File photo of students having their recess in the school toilet as posted on Facebook by Guneswari Kelly.PETALING JAYA, July 26 Although the authorities have declared the SRK Seri Pristana fiasco closed, it appears the fallout over the incident is not yet over. The mother who triggered an Internet firestorm by posting images of students eating in the bathroom of the school says she is now being threatened for exposing the matter online. After lodging a police on the anonymous threats pouring in on social network Facebook, Guneswari Kelly said she was now under concerted attack simply for voicing out her opinion on the schools decision, which has since been deemed inappropriate by authorities. How else am I supposed to express my concerns? Cant they understand this? she was quoted as saying by news portal The Malaysian Insider. The threats allegedly made on Facebook included that of bodily harm and the abduction of her child. These people did not identify themselves and I am afraid they would do something to my daughter, Guneswari said in the report.

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Yesterday, the school head at SRK Seri Pristana similarly lodged a police report after receiving two alleged death threats and has since gone on a weeks leave as a precaution. I decided that I needed to be away for my own safety after I got the death threats, Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor was quoted as saying by The Star in its report today. A day after a firestorm erupted over images depicting primary schoolchildren eating in what was variably described as a toilet, a shower room and a changing room shared on social media sites, Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan declared the issue closed following an apology from the school head. Following the controversy, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, confirmed on his Twitter page that the incident will be investigated and punishment meted to those responsible. The incident is reminiscent of a 2010 incident in Kedah where the headmistress of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau accused Chinese pupils there of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan, before ordering them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races.

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Although the school head later apologised, the incident and others in the same vein led to accusations of perceived tolerance for racism within the government and the civil service that some blamed on programmes conducted by the National Civics Bureau (BTN). See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/motherin-seri-pristana-row-claims-life-threatened#sthash.SIoetRNs.dpuf

SKSK Seri Pristana whistleblower lodges police report over threats

BY T RI NNA LEONG J ULY 26, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 26, 2013 07: 07 AM

The whistle-blower who exposed the case of students being made to eat in a school shower room is now facing threats to her life. The woman who chose to be identified only as Guneswari said the threats against her appeared on Facebook - the very medium she used to show how SK Seri Pristana was treating its non-Muslim pupils. Fearing for her life, and that of her daughter's, Guneswari has lodged a police report. She told The Malaysian Insider that the threats involved kidnapping and locking up both herself and her daughter. "These people did not identify themselves and I am afraid they would do something to my daughter," she added. Recounting her decision to post the pictures on Facebook, the exasperated mother said she had resorted to it as the school administration failed to respond to her queries. "How else am I supposed to express my concerns? Can't they understand this?"

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questioned Guneswari in response to her tormentors. Her Facebook photos stunned netizens who picked it up and shared it, resulting in a social media storm. Her post and photos had up to yesterday evening received over 600 comments. Many applauded while there were others who criticised and threatened her. Netizens who hurled negative feedback had mostly made racist remarks, asking Guneswari and other non-Muslim parents to send their children to a vernacular school if they are unhappy with SK Seri Pristana, the school involved in the controversy. A Facebook user known as Zainol Fitri posted a comment that said, "If you do not like it, just switch school. There are Tamil, Chinese and other national schools." Even more damning is another request by a user known as Asmadi Axass who told Guneswari to return to her homeland and stop disturbing the natives. She said that photos on her Facebook account were used by others to spread rumours and threats. "If no action is taken to stop these threats, parents won't want to come out to talk about issues next time," she said. Guneswari insisted her posting had never been about race and the issue has always been about the students' welfare. The pressure of dealing with naysayers however is getting to her. "This is emotionally stressful and it is all very upsetting. How is this fair?" - July 26, 2013

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Seri Pristina headmaster lodges police report over death threat

JULY 25, 2013

Children are seen taking their recess break in a shower room allegedly at SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh. Picture posted by Facebook user Guneswari KellyKUALA LUMPUR, July 25 Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana headmaster today lodged a police report on a death threat he received two days ago following the dining in changing room issue. Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor, 57, said the report was lodged to protect himself after he received the death threat and was condemned by certain quarters, including on Facebook, in regards with the issue. At about 10 am two days ago, after the picture was widely circulated over the Internet, I received a phone call from a man claiming to be a member of a non-governmental organisation. Besides condemning and bad-mouthing me, he also said If I meet you, I will kill you. Mohd Nasir told reporters after lodging the report at Saujana Utama police station here today.

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He was accompanied by six members of the schools teachers welfare body. It was reported that 28 non-Muslim pupils in the school were ordered to eat their meals during recess in the makeshift canteen in the shower room during the Ramadan month. Mohd Nasir said he was saddened with the efforts made by certain quarters to tarnish his name and the image of the school, which was opened three years ago. Prior to this, there is no complaint from the parents concerning the makeshift canteen issue because they understand that the canteen was undergoing renovation to accommodate the pupils during recess, he said. Mohd Nasir said he had also been ordered to go on leave for a week to pacify the situation. Meanwhile, Sungai Buloh police chief Supt Junaidi Bujang confirmed receiving the report. Bernama - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/sk-seripristina-headmaster-lodges-police-report-over-deaththreat#sthash.3Sx6HcqZ.dpuf

Deputy minister fails to pacify crowd over meals-in-toilet fiasco

BY HAM ZAH NAZARI JULY 25, 2013

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Kuala Selangor MP Datuk Irmohizam Ibrahim (right) points out the details of the temporary

canteen to Kamalanathan Picture by Shahir Omar PETALING JAYA, July 25 Shouts enveloped SK Seri Pristina as the presence of Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan did little to pacify the crowd. The primary school which turned infamous after pictures of students eating in the changing room made its rounds on social media hosted the deputy minister and several representatives from the state Education Department and Education Ministry in a bid to clear the air. Despite strong police presence, a group of individuals created a ruckus as they refused to accept Kamalanathans explanation over the fiasco. The deputy minister, nevertheless, offered no excuses over the incident. The school has guidelines. Obviously, they didnt comply, he said. We hope this serves as a lesson to all schools to take appropriate and timely action. I understand that sometimes we are pressured to take immediate action, but we must ensure it is accepted by all, he said. Kamalanathan also said that the issue had been resolved. I would like to take this opportunity to say I am sorry. We will make sure things like this will not happen again, he said.

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He later revealed the parent-teacher association (PTA) had in fact agreed to the changing room being used temporarily since the schools canteen was unable to accommodate its 13,000 students. The headmasters intentions were good, to find a place to put tables and chairs for the children to sit and eat. Unfortunately the location was not ideal. Officials from the Education Department and the ministry visited the school on Tuesday and immediately shut down the temporary canteen. The temporary canteen (in the changing room) has nothing to do with religious or racial issues. This decision was made in March. Since then, it has been used by students of all races. Only several non-Muslim students were seen in the pictures as this is the Ramadan month and the Muslim students are fasting, said Kamalanathan. He had also received a letter from the school requesting additional funds to renovate the canteen and pledged a personal contribution of RM10,000. - See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/deputyminister-fails-to-pacify-crowd-over-meals-in-toilet-fiasco#sthash.fEkaiqaJ.dpuf

Now, you know why non-Malays don't like sending their kids to 'Sekolah Kebangsaan'
Written by Chong Sin Woon

The events at SK Sri Pristana have left me outraged and shocked. Even taking into account the alternative arrangement (which was a lousy choice) whilst the canteen undergoes renovation and the reasons given by the schools administration, compelling any person to dine in a shower room is extremely unacceptable. For some time now the non-Muslim and Chinese communities have shown reluctance in sending their children to Sekolah Kebangsaan for fear of ones religious values imposed on others. The Ministry of Education must address this issue, more so during this Ramadan month when the incident had caused a furore and dealt a further blow in the communities trust and confidence regarding Sekolah Kebangsaan.

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Unforeseen consequences If this incident is not handled correctly, the public will only continue to lose confidence in the school system and this primary school especially. To the outside world, it seems as if the school is avoiding responsibility, primarily given that the reasons offered by the school are unconvincing especially to the parents concerned. This makeshift canteen has fully exposed the school for their lack of sensitivity and complete disregard for health codes. Since the Ministry of Education has ordered an investigation, I hope they can announce the findings and give a full account to the parents and the public. The school received complaints from parents to make other arrangements and it allegedly willfully disregarded their views, and for this the school should be severely condemned and dealt with. The school has the main responsibility to educate the pupils on this matter so they can understand how to conduct themselves with respect in the future. Chong Sin Woon MCA Youth Education Bureau Chairman

Kamalanathan bungles 'toilet canteen' issue: MIC must take action against him
Written by P Dinesh

The toilet canteen or SK Sri Peristina issue, announced P.Kamalanathan smugly, has been solved. He has apparently, in the space of a single visit, resolved everything. There was no need for him to listen to the parents or childrens side of the story, to examine in detail the minutes of PTA meetings or to conduct a sober inquiry in any form. He expansively swept everything under the carpet, where it may fester and eat at the fragile fabric of our society.

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Kamalanathan has done the nation a disservice by not conducting a responsible inquiry into this incident. He seems intent on trying to cover up things to the extent that his actions can only be considered to be gross dereliction of duty. He is also deaf to the voice of the people, a luxury that neither the MIC nor the BN can afford post the 2013 elections. His lack of concern for the traumatized students is also clear as he has proposed no form of counselling for them. Parents confronted the cowardly Kamalanathan All fair-minded Malaysians are outraged by the sight of little children being forced to eat in toilets. The parents remain upset and Kamalanathan was confronted outside the school by them. Many questions have been left unanswered by Kamalanathans hasty piece of theatre this afternoon. The school said the room was clean. The chidren described it as narrow and smelly. The school said this had been going on for 3 months. The parents said the children were moved there two days after the fasting month started. Kamalanathan said it has been resolved. The parents say it has not. The Headmaster has apologized. So has Alvivi. Incompetence, flimsy excuses Kamalanathan has been repeatedly, and firmly, putting his foot in his mouth over the past weeks. He said that matriculation is open to everyone when it is not. He said that he will try to solve the IPTA issue next year when he should be resolving this years problem. He said that he has been only the Deputy Minister for 2 months, which is a flimsy excuse for incompetence. Practising the politics of lame excuses and non-accountability that prevailed before 2008 is no longer acceptable to the electorate. Politicians from both sides of the divide have demanded for a probe. Even the BNs Education Minister had said that a probe will be conducted. Kamalanathan is precisely the kind of pliant, servile Indian politician (as proven by the widely distributed pictures of him kissing Muhyiddins hand) that the MIC cannot afford. He is focused, it would seem, on self-advancement and earning brownie points from Umno to the extent that he is ready to cover up issues of the utmost seriousness. If MIC does not act on this invertebrate creature, it is conclusive proof that they are all the same.

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MAILBAG

Canteen-gate' shows no signs of ending

The issue of the usage of a washroom of a Sungai Buloh school as a makeshift canteen continues to divide people. Opinion now seems to be split among those who feel it is about racial discrimination and others, who say the entire saga is being blown out of proportion. On Wednesday, SK Seri Pristana became a hotbed of activity, with politicians, Education Ministry bigwigs, reporters, protestors, parents and NGOs converging at the school, all eager to have their say about the recent brouhaha over the issue of non-Muslim primary school students being forced to eat their lunch in a washroom during Ramadan. Yahoo! Malaysia decided to drop by to learn the truth for ourselves, but found the school closed off to outsiders, despite the frenzy at their gates. One of the protestors, who said he was an ex-teacher, accused the authorities of covering up the incident. The man, who said his name was Kubpen, said authorities need to take more action against the discrimination occurring in schools. This is clearly a human rights issue, and the situation needs to be dealt with properly. Indian, Malay or Chinese all children should be treated equally, Kubpen said.

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However, others dismissed the issue, saying it isnt about racial discrimination and that the claims are being over-exaggerated. This is not a big issuepeople are trying to make this a political issue when it should just be left up to the school board to decide, said Sabri Hashim, whose children study there. He said reports were taken to the extreme, adding that the washroom is not a dirty place to eat at all. Children can eat anywhere they choose and many choose to eat there when its too hot outside, he said. We checked out the washroom at the center of this hoo-ha and found the room to be quite clean, though it was next to the toilets. Big purple tables were placed in the center of the room, and there were no signs of filth or bad smells. We werent the only ones inspecting the place - Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan also assessed the washroom and didnt seem to be concerned about the state of the room. At a press conference later,he described the issue as just miscommunication, saying the school principal decided to move the students for safety reasons because of renovations being made to the glass doors in the canteen. The intention was goodhowever the location was not ideal, said Kamalanathan. The principal has apologized for the situation that occurred, so we need to move forward, he said. Kamalanathan said the school canteen cant support the 1300-odd students who study there adding that it will be extended to accommodate the students needs. The canteen can currently only hold up to 500 students at a time. Safety is not the issue hereeverything will be overcome by the extension of the canteen.

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However, there was more drama as parents, still not satisfied with Kamalanathans explanation, circled him and bombarded him with more questions. We later spoke to one of the many angry mothers protesting the schools handling of the matter. She slammed the usage of the washroom, saying it was very unhygienic and smelly before this. This is clearly not a racial issue, it is a child issue. There was no need to move the children into the washroom, said the lady, who said her name was Nitha. All they needed to do was change the glass door [in the canteen], it is not a huge renovation like they claim. She said the children had no say in where they ate, despite contrasting claims. She also alleged that children were going home with stomachaches, and said the hygiene levels of the school worried her.

Not religion or race, so what was it about? - The Malaysian Insider

J ULY 24, 2013

"This is not about religion or race," Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan said today when closing the brouhaha over a Sungai Buloh school having its nonMuslim students take meals in a changing room during Ramadan. "As far as we are concerned, the issue is resolved. The headmaster had good intentions but chose a poor location. He has apologised. I too apologise. It won't happen again," he said after visiting the Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Pristana today. So what was it about, Mr Deputy Minister? Just a poor location?

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Fact is, the time has long gone past when Malaysians accept stock replies from anyone, especially ministers and deputy ministers when it comes to such controversies. And just because the matter is pronounced as closed, it doesn't mean that it is closed. It isn't a matter of a top government official waltzing into the school, having a look, getting briefed and then declaring the matter is closed. Even if some Malaysians can accept the unlikely story about the canteen being renovated, surely the students could have been asked to eat in a more suitable place, say another classroom or a hall elsewhere. To say it is a poor location is an understatement. And how is it that no one else saw that the location was so wrong for the school children. They might not have complained, and perhaps some teachers might break their fast there, but it is still wrong. It may be in the interest of Kamalanathan's bosses at the Education Ministry to "tutup" this case, but a sham probe will not help anyone. Is this an isolated case or are there other headmasters out there who think there is nothing wrong with a makeshift canteen in a changing room or a toilet? And what is causing this mindset, or at best, this lack of common sense. Malaysian parents trust teachers in a school to do their best to educate and care for their children during school hours. They certainly don't expect their children to eat in a changing room while a school canteen is being renovated for a glass wall for the teacher's room. We need smarter teachers, and smarter ministers and deputy ministers who will get to the bottom of things rather than saying it is all over and the case is closed. - July 24, 2013.

Deputy minister declares end to meals-intoilet debacle after headmasters apology

JULY 24, 2013

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One of the photos that started the controversy over students having their recess in a changing room. PETALING JAYA, July 24 Putrajaya declared a close today to the controversy surrounding a school where pupils were photographed eating in the toilet during Ramadan after its headmaster apologised for the incident. After visiting the school, Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan said there would not be a repeat of the incident, moving to calm the storm over the debacle that flooded the Internet yesterday. As far as we are concerned, the issue is resolved. The headmaster had good intentions but chose a poor location. He has apologised. I too apologise. It wont happen again, Kamalanathan told a press conference at the SK Seri Pristana school in Sungai Buloh. But Kamalanathan explained that students were barred from using the canteen due to safety concerns when renovation works started there two weeks ago. Due to renovations beginning in the canteen two weeks ago, all children were asked to eat in the changing rooms. This is because teachers were concerned the kids might get hurt during renovations, the Hulu Selangor MP was quoted as saying by The Stars news portal.

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He also said the 1,300-strong student population at the school had been using the changing rooms as an alternative to the small canteen well before the renovation. The changing rooms had been used along with the canteen by all students since March, because the canteen can only seat 500 to 600 people. SK Seri Pristana has 1,300 students, he said, but also said in the same press conference that the school had failed to follow guidelines for school facilities. According to The Star, students will be able to use the canteen again from today onwards as the school has finished renovation works. Kamalanathan also said the Education Ministry would conduct surprise visits to check on other schools. Yesterday, he wrote on Twitter to express the ministrys concern over the issue, saying: The ministry views such issues with gravity and will surely take stern action to ensure its (sic) not repeated.

Headmaster ducks meeting parents

G Lavendran | July 24, 2013

An attempt by parents and citizens to confront the principal of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh seeking an explanation for forcing their children to take meals in shower room proves futile.

PETALING JAYA : The headmaster of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh today ducked meeting a group of 20 people who wanted to know why he lied to the press about renovation works in the school.

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The group engaged in a verbal tirade with the police and security personnel manning the main gate when they were not allowed to see the headmaster, Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor. Photos of non-Muslim children eating on makeshift tables set up in the schools shower room, next to the toilets, went viral on the net when a parent published photos of it, generating a storm of protests. Mohd Nasir told the media that the schools canteen was undergoing renovation works and thus had little choice but to provide the shower room area for them to take their meals. One of the uploaded photos showed the canteen cordoned off with red plastic tape but when FMT visited the school this morning, the red tape had been removed and there was no renovation going on. Mohd Nasir also told the media the shower room has been used as a make shift canteen since March this year due to space constraints in the canteen proper. The parents, however, claimed this was untrue as none of their children had complained about being made to take their meals in the shower room next to the toilets. J Puspalatha, 30, whose daughter is enrolled in the school, alleged that several students were questioned by a teacher the day after photos of them eating in a shower room went viral on the internet. The teacher asked the students if their parents had taken the photos. Is that necessary? she asked. They are only children, they dont know whats going on. Why question them? The parent of a standard two child, known only as Nitha, denied allegations that the canteen was closed because of renovation work. They were only changing the wooden doors of the teachers canteen to glass doors, which is adjacent to the students canteen. Why the need to cordon off the students canteen? asked Nitha.

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The doors were only changed yesterday which probably took several hours, so they were lying when they said renovation works started in March, she

added. My child goes to that school and Ive not heard her complain about being made to take meals until July 12, she said. The school is just trying to cover up for their mistake now. Kamalanathan: Issue resolved The group was finally allowed into the school when Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan arrived at the school at 1.30pm, made a lighting tour and quickly declared the matter solved. Nasir has apologised and we have accepted it, but the ministry will have to decide on what action to take against him, rest assured, we will do what is necessary, he said. I hope people will not turn this into a racial issue, it has been resolved and I promise something like this will not happen again, he added. He also donated RM10,000 to the school to extend its canteen and promised that the ministry will work towards providing more funds for upgrading purposes. I will suggest to the ministry to provide more funds for SK Seri Pristana for upgrading purposes. I will start the ball rolling by giving them a donation of RM10,000, he said. Meanwhile, MIC Youth Chief T Mohan said that the headmaster and the school managements action was unforgivable, and providing students the shower next the toilet should not have been an option in the first place. This is an outrage. They shouldnt have put the students there in the first place, there is no excuse for such actions. We urge the Ministry of Education to take stern action on those responsible, he said. MIC will definitely pursue the matter, we will lodge a police report against the schools headmaster and the school management. Disciplinary action must be meted out, he added.

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SK Seri Pristana has an enrollment of over 1,300 students of which 28 are non-Muslims (23 Indians and five Chinese).

Step in to stop race polarisation in schools, DAP tells ministry

BY OPALYN M OK JULY 24, 2013

tony puaGEORGE TOWN, July 24 The Education Ministry must set clear guidelines to avoid future incidents such as non-Muslim students being made to eat in bathrooms during Ramadan, a DAP lawmaker said today, adding that failure to reverse the tide of religious hardline schools would make racial polarisation in Malaysia irreversible. Petaling Jaya Utara MP Tony Pua (picture, right) said that while ministry must take swift and severe action against the schools authorities over the matter, it was doubly vital to introduce new rules to prevent such instances to begin with. For example, the ministry can come up with guidelines to allow non-Muslim students to eat in school canteens during fasting month and the canteen must be in operation instead of being closed during this month, he said. Failure to do so, said the DAP national publicity secretary, meant tacit approval by the ministry for such offensive policies. Pua was referring to the recent uproar resulting from a Facebook posting by a parent of one of the students of SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh depicting non-Muslim primary school students allegedly eating their recess meals in a bathroom due to the Ramadan fasting month.

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Both Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin and Deputy Education Minister II P.Kamalathan had responded through Twitter that an investigation will be launched on the allegations and those responsible will be punished if the claims are found to be true. Kamalathan had also said that the school should have identified a more appropriate place if the canteen was under renovation instead of placing the students in the changing room during recess. Today, Pua also said in his statement released that if the Barisan Nasional (BN) government is serious about making national schools the breeding ground for unity, drastic reforms need to take place. He pointed out that the SRK Sri Pristina case is not the first and it will likely not be the last. Over the past few years, we have read many such reports, including a principal in Kedah telling off the Chinese pupils for being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during Ramadan and telling them to balik Cina, he added. He then claimed that there were other equally ridiculous cases, such as cheerleading teams being disbanded, decrees for lion dance without drums during Chinese New Year as well as blanket bans on Christian fellowship groups. He said it is because of such obvious transformation of national schools into such religious hardline schools that many non-Malay parents prefer to send their children to vernacular schools instead of national schools. If one were to pay a visit to practically any national school today during the month of Ramadan, non-Muslim students are segregated in secluded corners during recess, to respect their Muslim peers, Pua said, adding that even in normal months, students in many schools are segregated so as not to contaminate Muslim food and utensils. He claimed that many students have in the past complained that they were forced to take Arabic or attend Islamic classes despite being non-Muslims Is this the respect that our national education system seeks to cultivate? Shouldnt it be such that while non-Muslims understand and give respect to Muslims who are fasting, Muslims should equally understand and respect non-Muslim who are not? he asked.

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Pua said the national schools have become the reason for the young to be segregated by race and religion. There are two reasons why the non-Malays of this country, especially the Chinese community, chose to shun national schools today, the first being the quality of education and the second is no parents would want to send their children to a school where their child will be segregated and discriminated against by teachers, schoolmates and the school administration, he said. On the SK Sri Pristinas case, Pua said the non-Malay students in such schools will see the entire countrys system as biased against non-Malays and they will forever be discrimnated as unworthy second class citizens while the Malays will deem that it is right and proper to subject other races, religions and cultures to their own beliefs and practices.

DAP secretary-general Lim Guan Eng (picture, left), who issued a similar statement condemning the school, blamed the ministry for its failure to nurture a respect of all religions and for failing to take into account the sensitivities of other religions that had resulted in such an irresponsible action by the school. This is only a reflection of the attitude of the Barisan Nasional leaders in the federal government who had ignored the feelings of non-Muslims by refusing to take action against Perkasa chief Ibrahim Ali over his threat to burn the bibles and BN parliamentary candidate for Shah Alam Zulkifli Noordin over his anti-Hindu insults, the Penang chief minister said. Lim added that a Muslim ulama had once told him that non-Muslims can eat in front of Muslims and the Muslim will get more pahala (merit). Islam does not permit such actions and DAP hopes that Malaysians can differentiate between the peaceful and noble Islam from those who distort the good name of Islam to force young children to such degrading treatment, he said.

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Lim then called on all Malaysians, Muslim and non-Muslims, to stand together against such provocative misbehaviour and discriminatory treatment and against the culture of racism and hate.

Act now to protect harmony, DAP tells Education Ministry

BY ELI ZABET H ZACHARI AH J ULY 24, 2013

The DAP has joined in the chorus calling on the Education Ministry to carry out swift and severe punishment on the SK Sri Pristina authorities for ordering its non-Muslim pupils to have their recess meals in the shower room. DAP National Public Secretary Tony Pua also urged the ministry to come up with strict guidelines so that schools will not resort to such measures in future to protect the sanctity of the fasting month. "For example, non-Muslim students must be allowed to eat in school canteens during fasting month, and the canteens must remain open, he said. "The failure to even come up with, and enforce, such guidelines will only mean that the ministry is granting tacit approval for such action, and will almost certainly make racial polarisation in Malaysia an irreversible process," he said. Pua said that while the ministry has pledged to act, it is not the first such case and it will not be the last. "Over the past few years, we have read many such reports, including a principal in Kedah telling off the Chinese pupils for being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during Ramadan and telling them to balik China. "There were equally ridiculous cases of cheerleading teams being disbanded, decrees for lion dance without drums during Chinese New Year as well as blanket bans on Christian fellowship groups," he added. July 24, 2013.

Parents: Shower room only used two days into Ramadan

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The shower room at SK Seri Pristana was only used as a makeshift canteen two days into Ramadan, a group of parents of non-Muslim students said today. The mothers of Year Four students there said that they were not aware of the canteen being overflowed with students, a reason given by the school authoritiesyesterday as they explained the reasoning behind using the shower room. This was only two days into the Ramadan fasting month (July 11), said S Chitra, 53, and J Rebecca, 33, respectively. The mothers have also alleged that the canteen renovation involved only a glass door in the teachers canteen and didnt affect the students canteen.

Suspend 'callous and uncaring' HM, says MIC

MIC treasurer Jaspal Singh has called for the immediate suspension of SK Seri Pristanas headmaster for making non-Muslim pupils have their meals in the school's shower room. In a statement, the senator said he was looking forward to the outcome of the Education Ministry's investigation into the matter. "The problem, however, goes way beyond the haunting images of innocent children being, essentially, abused," he said. Jaspal (left) said the core issue was the callous disregard and disrespect for the beliefs and practices of those different from oneself, in short, bigotry. "On the one hand we preach unity and mutual respect, on the other an individual in a responsible position, a headmaster, abuses the very children he is supposed to nurture and protect. "Indeed, this is an act of abuse on helpless little children. I would pass on lunch if ordered to eat it in a public shower area, but a child has no choice but to follow the dictates of authority," Jaspal said. Referring to Charles Dicken's novel, Jaspal said Oliver Twist was given only thin gruel, but was not made to eat it in an outhouse. "It seems our children are being treated worse than those in the notorious workhouses of Dickensian England. Mr Bumble himself, I venture to speculate, would be shocked. Even the gentleman in the white waistcoat would not have it," he added. Jaspal noted that someone "so callous and uncaring of his charges" as the headmaster of SK Seri Pristana cannot be allowed to continue in his current position.

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"In fact, he should not be allowed anywhere near impressionable children. "I call upon the ministry to mete out the harshest punishment on this cruel individual. Suspend him immediately," he said. Meanwhile, the school claimed that the shower room had been used as a "canteen" since March this year because of "space constraints" in the canteen proper.

When will kindness prevail?

BY DAT UK ZAI D I BRAHI M, SPECI AL T O T HE MALAY SI AN I NSI DER J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 04: 48 PM

Security guards patrol at the entrance of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana today. - The Malaysian Insider pic by Nazir Sufari, July 24, 2013.

Another school fiasco has taken place if the reports about the schoolchildren in Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh are correct. The children were required to use the changing room next to the toilet as a makeshift canteen because the canteen itself was closed for the fasting month.

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Predictably, the DPM has ordered a probe and probably the other education minister will express some regret over the incident. This is not the first time such ugliness has marred our school halls. In 2010, the principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra in Johor made it to the news for making racial remarks against her Chinese and Indian students. Typically, in such incidents after the furor has died down all is forgotten. Then another incident unfolds because Malay and Muslim administrators do not think non-Malays and non-Muslims are important enough to be treated with respect and dignity. What has happened is the result of heightened Malay-Muslim consciousness, promoted by politicians and Islamic bureaucrats who-under the cloak of race and in some cases religion or both-want to be identified as champions of their race and religion. But by invoking false ideologies of patriotism and Islamisation, they have invaded the public space and filled the minds of the people with so much indoctrinal nonsense that some Malays and Muslims have forgotten basic human decency and moral values in their interpersonal relationship with others. The process has numbed the conscience of these administrators, a condition described by our Malay elders as "hilang hati perut". It means they have lost their sense of fairness, empathy and understanding and can no longer appreciate the consequence of their actions on others who do not belong to their group. They simply no longer care enough. These false champions of their race and religion then blame non-Malays and nonMuslims for being insensitive. Just this morning a deputy minister blamed the Chinese for organising a beauty contest knowing about the fatwa issue, implying the Chinese must also follow the fatwa.

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Some silly bloggers may have given them the ammunition to justify what they say, but by and large, non-Malays and non-Muslims have always been respectful of Malays and Muslims for as long as I can remember. For many years after independence, the Chinese and Indians have always stayed in the background and known their place under the Malaysian sun. In fact, their reluctance to be involved was interpreted as apathy and unwillingness to be involved in nation-building. Now, the younger generation wants to have a say and for that they are accused of being ungrateful. Suddenly, these young Malaysians are being labelled as unpatriotic. A special course on nationhood has been invoked by no less a figure than the Regent of Perak, implying that non-Malays and non-Muslims are found wanting in their sense of national loyalty. On the contrary, I believe that, if at all, the ones who need to undergo a course on nationhood are Malays and Muslims who have forgotten that there are Malaysians who are unlike them. I am tired of listening to some of our so-called leaders hand out their prescriptions for what ails the country. The non-Malays and non-Muslims must stand up for their rights; because only then will we have a country of equals. The Malays will also benefit from this situation where people are treated as they should be treated, with fairness and equanimity. The real culprits for the present day distortion are the Malays who always blame the Chinese for their shortcomings, and the false Muslim preachers who teach the Muslims to have an all-consuming fear of God but then conveniently forget that Allah commands us to look after our fellow beings more than ourselves. What ails the country are these false teachings and false ideologies that are bereft of human decency and dignity, making meaningful relationships among the people of this country difficult to achieve.

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So on his 60th birthday, can we have our PM (Prime Minister) say and do something that will right the moral compass of good behaviour between Malays and nonMalays? Remove the distorting prism that guides our present actions purely on the basis of race or beliefs. Can we agree that Malaysians of whatever group are human beings first, and that they deserve equal and fair treatment? Advanced countries put a premium on developing a caring and compassionate society and so should we. Success certainly cannot be measured by GDP (gross domestic product) and per capita income alone. - July 24, 2013.

WHAT A CRYING SHAME! Azmin slams govt over non-Muslim pupils forced to eat in toilet
Written by Azmin Ali

The allegation that school authorities of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh have made non-Muslim students eat in a makeshift dining room next to the toilets is shocking and scandalous. We have not been told exactly why this has come about but the supposed excuse that this had to be done because of Ramadan is completely unacceptable. Ramadan teaches us to be generous, considerate and more caring to others. This is an insult to Islam and whoever is responsible must be dealt with accordingly. Whatever reason it may be, it is still inconceivable how the school authorities could choose a shower room next to the toilets for a place for the students to eat.

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The Education Minister must investigate immediately and take swift action. Azmin Ali is the deputy president of PKR

Wanted in Malaysia: Empathy

NEW S ANALY SI S BY T HE MALAY SI AN I NSI DER J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 09: 03 AM

How did Malaysia come to this point? Where billions have been spent on national unity programmes, Bangsa Malaysia initiatives and grandiose 1Malaysia schemes and yet EMPATHY for each other is so glaringly missing from daily life. The Oxford Dictionary defines empathy as the ability to understand and share the feelings of another. Some may see it as "standing in someone else's shoes" or "seeing through someone else's eyes". Whatever the definition, implicit in it is a feeling of compassion for another. If the feeling of empathy courses through the veins of Malaysians, we would be very slow to ridicule the religious practices of another or even place each other in racial pigeonholes. Very slow. Because we would feel the hurt that a wayward word or action could cause another group of Malaysians. In addition, we would be quick to condemn or disapprove of behaviour not in keeping with our national psyche. That is why the incident at SK Seri Pestina in Sungai Buloh is disappointing, depressing and frankly, deflating. Why couldn't the headmaster put himself in the shoes of the non-Muslim students and see how wrong it was to make them have their canteen break in a shower room during the fasting month? Why didn't the afternoon school supervisor put himself in the shoes of the parent who complained about the insensitive and unsatisfactory eating arrangement? Why didn't any of the teachers tell the headmaster or school supervisors that no Malaysian child should be treated in this manner in his own country?

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Anecdotal evidence suggests that an increasing number of Malaysians have grown calluses in our hearts and that as long as hardship or injustice does not affect our kin, it is not something to be concerned about. Unfortunately, in the Malaysia of today, our speed of response and empathy is dictated by race or religion, not citizenry or the simple fact that offering a helping hand or fighting for the cause of another is the right thing to do. Perhaps, it is a by-product of looking at everything in this country through racial and religious lenses and believing that everything is a zero-sum game. Perhaps it is a natural progression from a country where racial polarisation has reached a point where colour of skin trumps place of birth. Today, the children at SK Seri Pestina will be allowed to consume their food in the canteen. Not because the school administrators suffered an attack of conscience but because they are obeying an order from the Education Ministry. No empathy here just a grudging respect for the power on hiring and firing which the ministry possesses. In slightly over a month, the Malaysian government will put on another grand parade to celebrate Merdeka, roll out a couple of heart-tugging Petronas advertisements of Malays, Chinese, Indians, Sikhs and Kadazandusuns smiling and hugging each other. Increasingly, that picture of postcard-perfect happiness and love for each other only belongs in postcards and in advertisements. In most parts of Malaysia, empathy is missing. - July 24, 2013.

Parents up in arms against Sungai Buloh school

BY T RI NNA LEONG, KI MBERLY Y EO AND DI Y ANA I BRAHI M J ULY 23, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 04: 46 AM

"There must be a better way of doing this. Even if it is the fasting month, there is no harm in allowing non-Muslim children from eating at the canteen."

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This was the view of a parent, Mastura Abdullah Sani, 22, who expressed shock after learning that non-Muslim pupils of SK Seri Pristina in Sungai Buloh were ordered to have their meals in the school shower room. Parents who turned up to collect their children from the school this evening were puzzled why the school authorities had resorted to such a measure. There were also others who turned up at the school gates this evening just to see what was happening after word spread that non-Muslims pupils of the school were ordered to spend the recess, eating in the shower room. "This is wrong," said another parent who wanted to be identified only as Zarimah. "I know for a fact that earlier, the children were allowed to use the canteen, but suddenly the canteen was shut. "They could have used one of the classrooms instead of the shower room," she said. Several parents claimed that the canteen was out-of-bounds after the operator closed shop for the fasting month. The school authorities tied a red tape around the premises to stop children from using the place. The case of schoolchildren dining in a shower room during recess would not have seen light if not for a concerned parent who did her own investigations. The woman, who has a daughter studying there, was skeptical when told about this last Saturday by a school van driver. The mother, identifying herself only as Guneswari, visited the school on Monday and what she saw shocked her. "The non-Muslim students were put in the shower room, which is adjacent to the toilet. "The doors to the shower room were closed, there was no ventilation. The smell from the toilet was so strong," she told The Malaysian Insider. Incensed that her daughter was treated in a such a manner, Guneswari demanded an explanation from the school authorities. She met the school's afternoon supervisor. But when there was no response forthcoming, Guneswari decided to expose what was going on in the school.

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Her posting on Facebook has now gone viral. It has garnered more than 3,000 shares. Guneswari also dismissed reports earlier today that the canteen was allegedly closed for renovations. You can see it on my Facebook page. There is nothing going on in the canteen," she said. After the Facebook posting became viral, Education Ministry officials showed up at the school this afternoon where they inspected the shower room and canteen. They also spoke to the school administration. Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan later said that they have ordered the school to stop asking the non-Muslims pupils to have their meals at the shower room. A police report over the incident was also lodged at the Sungai Buloh police station this evening. - July 23, 2013.

Shower room 'canteen' not in Ramadan spirit

YOURSAY 'YOURSAY 'Fast if you must but why deny the non-Muslim students the use of the canteen which is the proper place to have their food.'

Anonymous #708871335: The school should provide a more proper place for the non-Muslim students to eat rather than the changing room next to the toilet. Since Muslim students would not be going to the canteen during fasting month, the students should be allowed to take their food there and eat in the canteen, away from Muslim students who won't be in the canteen during that period. Anonymous #22065633: I hope this is an isolated case due to decision of an apparently unqualified educator, who needs to be taught what it means to be morally responsible. Malaysia888: You send young impressionable minds into an environment which goes to extra trouble to highlight the differences among us and not

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celebrate our common humanity, that teaches "we are superior to them" and "our religion is better than theirs" and you wonder why these children grow up as adults who have a very race-centric view of the world. Our education system is an abject failure, as is our government. Adhu3: This matter has already happened and the authority should resolve this issue as soon as possible before it become another racial issue. There should be mutual respect for all races and religions. CiViC: All these extremes are fuelled by extreme leaders who are allowed and encouraged to in extreme acts in the name of Islam by the BN government. Period. Muak: Just because you are fasting does not mean you can treat those who are not of your faith like dirt. The school canteen is for all to use. Muslim students who are fasting can stay in their classes if they wish to during recess and the rest can go to the canteen as usual. Now, what is wrong with that? Why is there is need for the school administrator put out an order like this? This person should be made to apologise to all the students and their parents and also charged under the Sedition Act for a brainless act like this. This person should be sacked without pension with immediate effect. This type of people are the ones that have contributed significantly to the deterioration of the Malaysian public school system.

Malaysia888: This because the national education system has been politicised and hijacked in the name of race and religion and this is why our schools will never ever be world-class. Cendol Bean: As a Muslim, I apologise to all of you. Trust me this is certainly not what Islam asked us to do. A bunch of idiots, our ruling regime included, have hijacked the faith and bastardised it. N H Gong: It's actually, truly and honestly better for your children to stay at home and listen to their grandparents in order to have any decent learning and education since the so-called government schools are indoctrination camps and idiots-production factories. EvenSteven: Dog in the manger. Fast if you must but why deny the nonMuslim students the use of the canteen which is the proper place to have their food. To whoever gave the order, if you think Allah will look on this as a good

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deed, you better think again. Vijay47: This rubbish that it is disrespectful for non-Muslims to eat within sight of Muslims must stop. The obligation for Muslims to fast is exactly that, an obligation on Muslims and not something to be embellished, supported or assisted by non-Muslims. If you are unable to fast because someone is eating in front of you, then the failure of your commitment to your faith is your own shortcoming and not the fault of others. When will this eternal blaming of others end, this faulting others, this "akan dikelirukan dan melemahkan iman" (will be confused and weakened the faith) thing stop? Just for the record, I am Roman Catholic and I fast during Lent and my fast is much stricter than the Muslim one - I fast 24 hours, from 7pm to 7pm the following day without even drinking water in between. Occasionally I accompany friends during their lunch and my sitting with them while they eat does not cause my Christian world or faith to collapse. So please, if you want to fast, fast. If you do not, do not blame me. MyTaxMyMoney: I just could not believe this is happening. I am a Muslim and I have been sitting together with my non-Muslim friends while they are having their lunch during Ramadan. This principal's action have tarnished the blessed month. Poor kids. What was their fault? Adsertor: Why is it necessary to hide? I am sure Muslim students knew that their non-Muslim friends are not fasting and would be eating during recess and lunch break. Telestai: As a non-Muslim, I think it is discourteous to eat in front of a Muslim during Ramadan. However, non-Muslims must not be denied of their right to buy and eat food as they normally do. If it makes one hungry, then that is one of the challenges of fasting. It is about character building and a personal challenge to abstain from food despite the temptations. What good is fasting if it can only be achieved by removing every possible temptation so that one can fulfil his or her obligation. The principal in this case is clearly deficient in common sense and needs to be given a strong dose. Mikey!: I am a Muslim. Its only disrespectful for a Muslim who is not fasting

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to eat in front of another Muslim who is fasting. There is nothing wrong for a non-Muslim to do so. If it makes you hungry when you see others eat, it is part of the challenge of fasting. Just an ordinary Malaysian: This is shocking incompetence by those who we place our trust to care and educate our children. A sad result of politicising our public education system. Enough is enough. All Malaysians suffer because of racial politicking. Fairperson: It's again time for non-Malays to think wisely whether to send their children to Malay school instead of vernacular schools. With Malay hegemony and feeling of "ketuanan" (supremacy) piling on, worst times are yet to come. There are too many mediocre teachers and headmasters who still maintain the attitude of "mine is the best, the rest are worst" when it comes to language and religion. It is a sorry state of affairs, the product of National Civics Bureau (BTN).

Sungai Buloh school was wrong, say Muslim scholars

BY AMI N I SKANDAR, BAHASA MALAY SI A EDI T OR, AND V. ANBALAGAN, ASSI ST ANT NEW S EDI T OR J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 09: 03 AM

Muslim scholars have frowned on measures taken by a school in Sungai Buloh in protecting the sanctity of the fasting month by ordering its non-Muslim students to have their meals in a shower room. They said this was not the right way for the school to educate its non-Muslim pupils on how to respect those who are fasting. Former Perlis mufti Datuk Dr Mohd Asri Zainul Abidin said: Obviously what the school in Sungai Buloh had done was wrong. Even if the school wanted to educate the non-Muslim pupils to respect their fellow students who are fasting they could have done it in a better way, he said. This incident should not have taken place as non-muslims are not required to fast, he said.

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Dr Asri suggested the school advice its pupils on the dos and donts during the fasting month. PAS Dewan Ulama deputy chief Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed also agreed that this was not the proper way to deal with the non-Muslims pupils. The school should have provided a better place for non-Muslim pupils to have their meals if the canteen was out-of bounds. They should have designated a classroom for this purpose not put them in a shower room. "This not only sends a wrong signal to the non-Muslim pupils but it will also obviously ruin the children's appetite," Dr Mahfodz told The Malaysian Insider. The co-ed school, SK Seri Pristana, is in the news after reports emerged that nonMuslim pupils were kept behind closed doors in the shower room during recess as it was the fasting month. A Facebook posting by a parent showing the pupils having their meal in the shower room has gone viral. So far, the school authorities have remained silent but the Education Ministry yesterday ordered that they stop the practice of ordering their non-Muslim pupils from having their meals in the shower room. Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin had also ordered for an investigation into the case, warning that action will be taken if the report is true. Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan had said that although this is a sacred month for Muslims, there should be mutual respect among everyone and that this "should not translate to demanding non-Muslims to not eat their meals in public places". At least one police report was lodged against the school yesterday while other parties are expected to follow suit today. Meanwhile, the National Union of Teaching Profession said "it is wrong for the school to do this is the name of religion". NUTP president Hashim Adnan added that those responsible should apologise to the pupils and parents.

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He, however, was quick to add that the school headmaster may not have been aware of what happened and that this could have been the work of a subordinate. "Whoever made the decision is wrong. It is unacceptable to force the children to have their meals in the shower room." National Parent Teacher Association Collaborative Council president Datuk Mohd Ali Hassan said what the school did was "inhumane" and urged the Education Department to investigate the matter and take the necessary steps so that this situation will not recur in other schools. - July 24, 2013.

Ibu bapa kesal bilik persalinan jadi tempat makan

5:58AM Jul 24 2013 Ibu bapa terkilan dengan tindakan pengurusan Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Saujana Utama, Sungai Buloh kerana didakwa menempatkan pelajar bukan Islam makan di bilik persalinan sekolah itu pada bulan Ramadan. Celestina A/L Sokya, 40, dari Sarawak berkata beliau kesal dengan keputusan pihak sekolah itu dan tidak mahu lagi menghantar anaknya, Destiny Yeeling, 8, pelajar tahun dua untuk bersekolah di situ. "Sebelum ini anak saya kata dia makan di tandas, saya ingat dia bergurau. Tidak sangka wajah anak saya ada dalam gambar yang disiarkan dalam Facebook hari ini mengenai pelajar bukan Islam makan di tandas," katanya kepada pemberita ketika mengambil anak gadisnya pulang dari sekolah itu. Beberapa gambar tersebar di laman sosial hari ini yang memaparkan sebilangan murid yang dikatakan bukan beragama Islam berada di sebuah bilik menyerupai bilik air, dengan botol air dan bekas makanan berada di atas sebuah meja. Berikutan itu, Timbalan Perdana Menteri yang juga Menteri Pendidikan, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin mengarahkan Kementerian Pendidikan untuk menyiasat dakwaan pelajar di sebuah sekolah rendah mengenai keadaan itu. Seorang suri rumah Rebecca Joseph, 32, berkata anak perempuannya Jessica James, 10, ada mengadu mengenai perkara itu dua hari lepas. "Memang itu bilik persalinan, tetapi dalamnya ada dua bilik mandi, ada dua tandas. Macam mana sekolah boleh bagi mereka makan dalam tandas kan," katanya. Ayahnya, James Subramanian, 45, seorang pengawal keselamatan Indah Water, berkata beliau susah hati apabila dengar berita mengenai anaknya makan dalam tandas. Seorang ibu, Jagteep Kaur, 34, berasa sangat sedih sebab dua anak lelakinya terpaksa makan di bilik persalinan itu iaitu Eekongkar Dilmarditl Singh, 9, dan Kuljeet Sing, 10, sejak seminggu lalu.

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Eekongkar Dilmarditl berkata beliau diminta untuk makan di bilik persalinan kerana kantin sekolah sedang dibaiki. "Saya sudah dua hari muntah-muntah dan diarahkan duduk situ kerana hujan. Kalau duduk di kantin nanti kotor," katanya. Sementara itu tinjauan Bernama untuk mendapatkan penjelasan daripada Guru Besar sekolah itu menemui jalan buntu apabila wartawan tidak dibenarkan masuk ke perkarangan sekolah. Menurut sumber Kementerian Pendidikan, sekolah itu mempunyai dua sesi persekolahan, 74 guru, dengan 1,373 pelajar, iaitu 696 lelaki dan 677 perempuan. Dua bilik persalinan di sekolah itu digunakan sebagai kantin sementara bagi 28 pelajar bukan Islam sepanjang bulan Ramadan ini. Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Sungai Buloh, Supt Junaidi Bujang ketika dihubungi Bernama mengesahkan bahawa satu laporan polis dibuat seorang kerani hari ini terhadap guru besar Bernama sekolah itu.
Updated: Wednesday July 24, 2013 MYT 11:38:19 AM

HM and PTA head grilled

REPORTS BY FOONG PEK YEE,RAZAK AHMAD,SIRA HABIBU,YUEN MEIKENG, PRIYA KULASAGARAN, P. ARUNA, TASHNY SUKUMARAN, AUSTIN CAMOENS AND JANE TAN

Not in use: The school canteen has been closed while non-Muslim pupils ate in the changing room in SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh.

SUNGAI BULOH: When we arrived, the dining tables and chairs were still there at the girls changing room of SK Seri Pristana, where non-Muslim pupils had been having breakfast and lunch over the past week,

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As we entered the school grounds at about 6pm yesterday, the headmaster and the head of the Parent-Teacher Association looked distressed as officers from various government departments questioned them repeatedly on why the pupils had been moved to the changing room. They showed us the changing room which was very clean at the time. Two tables with purple tablecloths were placed in the small space next to the shower stalls and the sinks, with benches for the pupils to sit on.

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Too close for comfort: Pupils having their food in the school changing room which is next to the toilet during recess time.

The canteen, which was directly opposite the changing room, was re-opened to the pupils yesterday on the directive of the Education Ministry. There are three shower stalls and three sinks in the room, which is right next to the girls toilet and the toilet for handicapped pupils. According to the school officials, there are only 28 non-Muslim pupils in the school.

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Headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor said the pupils, both Muslims and non-Muslims, had been using the changing room since March because there was not enough space in the canteen. Our enrolment increased by more than 500 pupils this year. We do not even have enough classrooms. We have an average of 49 pupils in each class now, said the visibly worried headmaster who had to answer his cell phone every few minutes.

I only decided to move them into that room because many were sitting on the grass or by the drain to eat because there was not enough space.

He said the canteen had been closed over the past week due to a minor renovation. Mohd Nasir brought us into the canteen to show us the newly-installed glass doors at a small corner of the canteen. The renovation was completed over the weekend, he said. The canteen was supposed to have been re-opened on Monday. I did not know that it was kept closed. I was away for a meeting that day, Mohd Nasir said. The head of the schools Parent-Teacher Association Hussein Mohd Ariff said that the PTA members were aware of the situation as it had been brought up at the AGM. As a parent, I know it was not ideal but the decision was not up to me, he said. The headmaster stressed that he would never discriminate against his pupils. As you can see, the shower room is very clean. The only reason I chose this place is because it is the closest room to the canteen.

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I did not mean any harm to the pupils, he said, adding that he had not received any complaints from parents until yesterday. As we spoke, parents were walking into the school to check on their children after seeing the photos and comments in the social network. I suspected something was wrong when another parent told me the children were eating in a changing room, said a parent. I asked my daughter, who is only nine, and she told me that the place where she was eating was narrow and smelly.

Sekolah Sri Pristina and the aroma of our conversations this Ramadan - Ramanathan
J ULY 24, 2013

This year the muslim month of Ramadan began on 9 July. During Ramadan, muslims fast. From dawn to dusk they deny themselves food and water. For 28 days x 24 hours/day, they restrain their emotions, give up bad habits and exercise more than usual generosity. They remind themselves what it means to be thirsty and hungry. Many Muslims also read the Quran and attend prayers at mosques more frequently than they would in the other eleven months of the year. In Malaysia, as in other countries with large Muslim populations, a carnival atmosphere fills the air. Special foods are prepared, sold and consumed. Its common for families and social groups to break fast together. Hotels and restaurants offer special menus for breaking fast.

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The roads are a lot less crowded than usual during the time of breaking fast sometimes people stop their cars by the roadside and break their fast. Its a season for doing good, and for showing restraint while others do not. Some Muslims have even said to me that they gain merit by serving refreshments to nonMuslim guests in their homes while not partaking themselves. So its with some horror that I read about whats been happening in a co-ed primary school located not far from where I live. The story surfaced 2 weeks into Ramadan. It seems the canteen in the school has been closed for Ramadan and non-Muslim and (therefore non-fasting) students have been asked to eat their meals in the schools shower rooms. It also seems like there are in-use toilets close to the shower room, and the smell from the toilets fills the air. Both boys and girls eat their meals in the room. Its not clear whether the shower room is for boys or for girls. The mother of one of the students was informed about this by a driver who ferries her daughter to the school. [I wonder why the daughter hadnt said anything to her mother.] The mother couldnt believe what she was told. So she went to see for herself. Her disbelief turned into horror and rage. She confronted the schools afternoon supervisor, but didnt get a satisfactory response. So she took photos and posted them on Facebook. The photos and her notes went viral. The comments began to spiral. It turned into a racial thing: this is what they do to us. Then people became incensed with the school authorities. The deputy minister of Education, an Indian, was brought into the fray. Muslims criticized the schools headmaster and teachers. People began saying this is the state of our nation thanks to the governments tolerance, nay promotion, of intolerance of non-Malays. I do not wish to downplay the seriousness of whats going on. I think it is unconscionable that the school canteen should be closed for business during Ramadan. I think it is unconscionable that students should be barred from the canteen premises during Ramadan. Shouldnt schools cater to Muslim as well as non-Muslim students? I think it is unconscionable that students should be expected to eat their meals in a shower room, filled with toilet smells. I do not wish to downplay the seriousness of whats going on. Why arent people asking whether the shower room is still used as a shower room? Why arent people asking when the shower room began to be used as a place to eat? [Especially since

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one news report says the conversion of the shower room occurred in March.] Why are people zeroing in on this one incident as if its typical of every school in Malaysia? Why arent people talking about other schools? Why are we so eager to see the worst in everyone? I noticed that Sinar Harian, a Malay Daily has expressed outrage over what the students have had to endure. Sinar Harian interviewed and gave voice to 4 nonMuslim parents whose children attend the school. Sinar Harian even noted that the school has 28 non-Muslim students, 74 teachers, and a total of 1,373 students and that reporters from the state news agency, Bernama, couldn't get access to the Headmaster! So far, this appears to be a matter concerning one school, with 74 teachers, probably including one or more Islamic religious teachers. What have they done? What will they do? What do they say is the reason for cordoning off the canteen during Ramadan? How joyful will they be when they break their fasts this Ramadan? What will their (Malay-Muslim) friends say to them in the suraus, mosques and open houses? The aroma of delicacies fills the air in our bazaars. The aroma of of toilets fills the air in the "makeshift canteen" in Sri Pristina School. What aroma fills the air of our conversations?

Headmaster and PTA chairman defend controversial meals decision

J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 09: 19 AM

The headmaster of a Sungai Buloh primary school has said that Muslim and nonMuslim students had been using the schools changing room since March to have their meals. The SK Seri Pristana headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor said the increased enrolment and space shortage in the canteen had prompted the decision.

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He also stressed that he would never discriminate against his pupils, pointing out that the changing room was clean and that it was the closest room to the canteen. I did not mean any harm to the pupils, The Star today reported him as saying. The paper reported that when it visited the school yesterday, the headmaster and the head of the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) looked distressed as officers from various government departments questioned them repeatedly on the subject, while Mohd Nasir had to answer his mobile phone every few minutes. He said until yesterday he had not received any complaints from parents. The schools PTA chairman Hussein Mohd Ariff said that the PTA members were aware of the situation as it was brought up at the AGM. He said that he was aware it was not an ideal solution, but added that the decision was not up to him. Mohd Nasir said the canteen had been closed over the past week due to minor 'renovation'. The daily reported that Mohd Nasir said that the minor renovation, to change a glass door at the canteen, was completed over the weekend and that the canteen was to have been re-opened on Monday. I did not know that it was kept closed. I was away for a meeting that day, Mohd Nasir said.. According to school officials, there are 28 non-Muslim pupils in the school. The canteen, which is directly opposite the changing room, was re-opened to the pupils yesterday on the directive of the Education Ministry, the daily reported. - July 24, 2013.

Primary school closes makeshift 'canteen' in changing room

Posted on 23 July 2013 - 04:36pm

theSun

team

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PETALING JAYA (July 23, 2013): The primary school which made its non-Muslim students eat in a changing room after closing its main canteen during the fasting month has been ordered to remove its makeshift eating facility, which the public has called "unhygienic" and "extreme". The issue first came to light after a Facebook posting with photos was made by a concerned parent. The post has since been shared more than 2,500 times at 3.45pm today. The photos show boys and girls eating together in the ladies' changing room on chairs and tables provided by the school, where a male gardener is seen supervising them. The room has three shower stalls. The ladies' latrines are located in the next room. Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan visited the school at around 2.30pm and after inspections, ordered them to close their makeshift canteen. "In the first place, the entire episode should not have happened," Kamalanathan said later on Twitter. "A proper place should have been identified, surely not the changing room. It is not the right thing to do. The school could have appointed a temporary canteen operator to run the operations during Ramadhan," he tweeted. A parent of a non-Muslim child at the school told theSun that students were told during assembly that they had to eat only in the designated area. When she queried teachers about the issue, they told her that this was because they wanted to avoid a mess being made in the canteen when there were no canteen operators around to clean up after the students. "Since the start of the fasting month, the boys were made to eat in the male changing room while the girls were made to eat in the ladies' changing room. Teachers claimed that the boys were making too much noise and moved them to eat together with the girls to better manage the students. "After I complained about the location, they said they will move the students to an outdoor area near the storeroom. Naturally, I protested because there is no shelter over there," she said, adding that the school finally offered to move the students to the men's changing room, as it was "two doors away from the latrines."

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She also lamented that the school did not provide food for the non-Muslim students during the entire month and because her daughter did not inform her about the canteen closure during the first week, she ended up starving. She added that the afternoon session which her daughter attends comprises of three grades and has about 15 to 20 non-Muslim students. Kamalanathan also tweeted that the Daily Schools Management Department has been requested to conduct more investigations into "why such a decision was made by the school". He added that the school has since removed the temporary eating place from the changing room. Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin also tweeted at 3.43pm: "I have directed the Education director general to investigate the issue of non-Muslim students who were asked to eat in the toilet. Stern action will be taken if there is basis."

DPM: Stern action against school if mealsin-toilet allegations true

BY SYED JAYM AL ZAHIID JULY 23, 2013

Students are seen inside the toilet of their school where they have to eat their recess meals. KUALA LUMPUR, July 23 Putrajaya pledged stern action today against the authorities of a primary school if allegations that it had forced its non-Muslim students to eat in the toilets during Ramadan are proven true.

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Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also the education minister, confirmed on his Twitter page this afternoon that the incident will be investigated and punishment meted to those responsible. Saya telah mengarahkan KPPM utk siasat isu pelajar bukan Islam yg disuruh makan di dalam tandas. Tindakan tegas akan diambil jika ada asas, Muhyiddin wrote on the microblogging site. [Translation: I have directed the KPPM (director-general of education) to investigate the issue of non-Muslim students instructed to eat in the toilet. Stern action will be taken if there is basis (to the allegation)]. Deputy Education Minister II P. Kamalanathan also took to his Twitter profile earlier today, expressing the ministrys concern over the issue. The ministry views such issues with gravity and will surely take stern action to ensure its (sic) not repeated, he said in a posting. Pictures depicting non-Muslim primary school students allegedly eating their recess meals in a toilet due to the ongoing Ramadan fasting month has Malaysians up in arms on the Internet. Posted by a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly on social network Facebook, the photographs appear to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the lavatory even as the school canteen went unoccupied. According to her, the children were directed not to use the canteen shown cordoned off in the pictures as they would dirty the area. Instead, they were told to go to the schools changing rooms and lavatories, and ordered to stay there for the duration of their recess. According to Kamalanathan, the school has been ordered to remove the temporary eating place from the changing room. But he criticised the decision nevertheless, saying the school could have easily solved the problem by identifying a proper replacement location as well as hiring a temporary canteen operator. It is not the right thing to do; the school could have appointed a temporary canteen operator to run the operations during Ramadan.

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If the canteen is under renovation, a proper place should have been identified, surely not the changing room, he said on Twitter. The Malay Mail Onlines attempt to call the school for comment went unanswered. The incident is reminiscent of a 2010 incident in Kedah, when the headmistress of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau accused Chinese pupils there of being insensitive towards their Muslim peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan, before ordering them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races. Although the school head later apologised, the incident and others in the same vein led to accusations of perceived tolerance for racism within the government and the civil service that some blamed on programmes conducted by the National Civics Bureau (BTN). Following calls for her dismissal, the headmistress later apologised while the Education Department also formed a taskforce to probe the incident. The latest incident also comes during a time of renewed religious tension in the country, with the Muslim-Christian tussle over the Arabic word Allah set to return to court after a four-year hiatus. The 2009 High Court decision upholding the Catholic Churchs constitutional right to use the word Allah had shocked Muslims who considered the word to only refer to the Muslim God. It also led to Malaysias worst religious strife, with houses of worship throughout the country coming under attack. Two weeks ago, a pair of bloggers also invited Muslim ire after they posted a photograph on Facebook touting a pork dish as an appetising meal with which to break the Ramadan fast. Pork is expressly forbidden to Muslims. The two have since been charged for the deed, among others, while police also allege that their action led to the kidnap and assault of a youth in Shah Alam, for which four men were yesterday charged. Muslims are obliged to observe a fast from dawn to dusk for 30 days during the holy month of Ramadan, which began this year on July 10. Muslims are the countrys dominant religious group and represent over 60 per cent of Malaysias population of 28 million.

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Ministry to probe school over 'recess in shower room'

First Published:3:06pm, Jul 23, 2013 Last Updated:4:08pm, Jul 23, 2013
by Azril Annuar

Photos taken from Guneswari's Facebook page

Pupils were pictured having their meals in the changing and shower room. Photos taken from Guneswari's Facebook page.

PETALING JAYA (July 23): The Education Ministry will be investigating Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana for the "demeaning" way that the school was allegedly treating non-Muslim pupils during Ramadhan.

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin who is also Education Minister said he has instructed his ministry to investigate the matter.

In his tweet, he said: "I have instructed the ministry to investigate the issue of non-Muslims who have been asked to eat in the toilet. Firm action will be taken if there is any basis."

fz.com discovered earlier today that a mother, Guneswari Kelly, whose child is studying in the school, had posted on Facebook yesterday, pictures of pupils having their recess meals in the schools changing room that was located next to the toilet .

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In her posting, Guneswari stated: "They (the school) restricted our children to go canteen becoz (because) they (the pupils) will dirty (the canteen) and gave them bilik bersalin n mandi (changing and shower room) for rehat (recess). They quanteen (quarantine) them not to go out from break.

"Is this fair? Can school treat like this. No food serve n (and) no canteen. That bathroom is full of bacteria n smell becoz (because) its a bathroom n next door toilet with the horrible smell."

She went on to say that when she asked the school about the matter, the children were sent to another bathroom and store room.

It was understood that Guneswari has contacted one of Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan's officers via Facebook on the incident.

When contacted, Kamalanathan replied tofz.comvia an SMS that he was in the "middle of a discussion".

In a series of tweets, Kamalanathan responded that it should not have happened in the first place and he has requested the school to remove the temporary eating place from the changing room, which according to him has been carried out already.

He added that: "The ministry views such issues with gravity and will surely take stern action to ensure it is not repeated."

He also welcome feedback from the public on such callous actions to ensure that these incidents do not recur.

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Whenfz.comalerted Education Director-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghafar Mahmud on the incident, he stated that he has directed the Selangor Education Department Director Mahmud Karim to investigate the matter.

"I have instructed the state director to get further information on the issue. If this is true, it should never have happened in the first place. They will investigate to take further action," Abdul Ghafar toldfz.com.

Although the pictures of the changing room seemed to be clean, the responses from the public were overwhelming in their anger towards the schools administration, simply because it is "demeaning" and "insulting" to place primary school children in a changing room for them to have their recess meals.

Muhyiddin orders probe into pupils having meals in toilet Bernama

J ULY 23, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 23, 2013 07: 55 PM

Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has instructed the Education Ministry to conduct a probe into an allegation that pupils of a primary school were forced to eat their recess meals in the toilet. "I have ordered the ministry to investigate the issue of non-Muslim pupils having been asked to eat in the toilet. Stern action will be taken if there is basis (for the allegation)," Muhyiddin, who is also the education minister, said on Twitter. The social media today carried several pictures of a group of non-Muslim pupils eating what looked like their recess meals in a room that resembled a toilet, with water bottles and meal containers on a table.

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Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said the ministry had instructed the Schools Daily Management Division to relocate the temporary dining place of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Sungai Buloh, to a cleaner place considering that the school canteen was under renovation. - Bernama, July 23, 2013.

Ibu bapa bengang pentadbiran sekolah di Sungai Buloh

OLEH T I NNA LEONG, KI MBERLY Y EO DAN DI Y ANA I BRAHI M J ULY 23, 2013

Kantin sekolah di Sungai Buloh yang dikatakan sedang diubahsuai.Kes

kanak-kanak sekolah diarah makan di bilik persalinan ketika

rehat di sebuah sekolah di Sungai Buloh mendapat perhatian meluas apabila seorang ibu prihatin melakukan siasatannya sendiri. Wanita yang ingin dikenali sebagai Guneswari itu mempunyai seorang anak perempuan yang belajar di Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristina itu diberitahu mengenai perkara itu oleh pemandu van sekolah anaknya pada Sabtu lalu. Semalam, Guneswari melawat sekolah itu dan terkejut dengan apa yang dilihatnya. "Murid bukan Islam diletakkan dalam bilik persalinan, yang bersebelahan dengan tandas. "Pintu menuju bilik persalinan ditutup, tiada aliran udara. Bau dari tandas amat kuat," katanya kepada The Malaysian Insider. Berang kerana anaknya dilayan sedemikian, Guneswari menuntut penjelasan daripada pihak berkuasa sekolah. Beliau bertemu dengan penyelia petang sekolah.

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Bagaimanapun, selepas tiada maklum balas daripada sekolah, Guneswari membuat keputusan untuk mendedahkan perkara itu. Gambar yang dipamerkan di laman sosial Facebooknya itu tersebar luas di internet dan kini dikongsi oleh 3,000 orang. Guneswari juga mendakwa kantin itu tidak ditutup untuk kerja ubah suai. "Anda boleh lihat di Facebook saya. Tidak ada apa-apa pun yang berlaku di kantin," katanya. Sementara itu, Mastura Abdullah Sani, 22, salah seorang ibu yang menghantar anak bersekolah di situ, berkata beliau terkejut apabila mengetahui murid bukan Islam diarahkan makan di bilik persalinan sekolah. "Ada banyak lagi cara lain yang lebih baik dan jika ia bulan puasa sekali pun, tidak ada salahnya membenarkan murid bukan Islam makan di kantin, katanya. Ibu bapa yang menjemput anak mereka daripada sekolah petang tadi keliru mengapa pihak berkuasa sekolah bertindak sedemikian.

Bilik persalinan yang menjadi tempat makan murid bukan Islam ketika rehat.Beberapa

orang awam kelihatan datang ke sekolah petang tadi

untuk melihat apa sebenarnya yang berlaku selepas cerita mengenai murid bukan Islam sekolah berkenaan diarahkan menghabiskan masa rehat, makan di bilik persalinan tersebar di internet. "Ini salah," kata seorang ibu yang ingin dikenali sebagai Zarimah. "Saya tahu awalnya murid dibenarkan menggunakan kantin, tetapi tiba-tiba kantin tutup. Mereka sepatutnya boleh menggunakan bilik darjah berbanding bilik persalinan," katanya. Beberapa ibu bapa mendakwa murid tidak dibenarkan masuk ke kantin selepas pengendalinya menutup kedai sempena bulan puasa. Pihak berkuasa sekolah

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kemudian mengikat pita merah di sekeliling premis itu bagi menghalang kanakkanak menggunakan tempat itu. Selepas gambar di Facebook itu tersebar luas, wakil rasmi Kementerian Pendidikan datang ke sekolah tengah hari tadi dan memeriksa bilik persalinan dan kantin selain bercakap dengan pentadbiran sekolah. Timbalan menterinya, P Kamalanathan kemudian berkata, pihaknya sudah mengerahkan sekolah supaya tidak mengarahkan murid bukan Islam makan di bilik persalinan itu. Laporan polis berhubung kejadian itu turut dibuat di Balai Polis Sungai Buloh, petang ini. - 23 Julai, 2013.

On Facebook, students shown eating in school toilet

JULY 23, 2013

Children are seen taking their recess break in a shower room allegedly at SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh. Pictures posted by Facebook user Guneswari Kelly

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PETALING JAYA, July 23 Pictures depicting non-Muslim primary school students allegedly forced to eat their recess meals in a toilet due to the ongoing Ramadan fasting month has Malaysians up in arms on the Internet. Posted by a mother by the name of Guneswari Kelly on social network Facebook, the photographs appear to show several non-Muslim children and even adults at a school named as SRK Sri Pristana in Sungai Buloh taking their recess in the lavatory even as the school canteen went unoccupied. According to her, the children were directed not to use the canteen shown cordoned off in the pictures as they would dirty the area. Instead, they were told to go to the schools changing rooms and lavatories, and ordered to stay there for the duration of their recess. Is this fair? Can school treat like this. No food serve n no canteen. That bathroom is full of bacteria n smell becoz its a bathroom n next door toilet with the horrible smell, Guneswari wrote in the post. Is it fair for a sekolah kebangsaan sri pristana treatment our non Muslim children like this during puasa month? Calls to the school for comment went unanswered.

Students are seen eating their recess meals inside the toilet.The incident is reminiscent of a 2010 incident in Kedah, when the headmistress of Sekolah Menegah Kebangsaan Bukit Selambau accused Chinese pupils there of being insensitive towards their Muslim

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peers by eating in the school compound during the fasting month of Ramadan, before ordering them to return to China if they could not respect the culture of other races. Although the school head later apologised, the incident and others in the same vein led to accusations of perceived tolerance for racism within the government and the civil service that some blamed on programmes conducted by the National Civics Bureau (BTN). Following calls for her dismissal, the headmistress later apologised while the Education Department also formed a taskforce to probe the incident. The latest incident also comes during a time of renewed religious tension in the country, with the Muslim-Christian tussle over the Arabic word Allah set to return to court after a four-year hiatus. The 2009 High Court decision upholding the Catholic Churchs constitutional right to use the word Allah had shocked Muslims who considered the word to only refer to the Muslim God. It also led to Malaysias worst religious strife, with houses of worship throughout the country coming under attack. Two weeks ago, a pair of bloggers also invited Muslim ire after they posted a photograph on Facebook touting a pork dish as an appetising meal with which to break the Ramadan fast. Pork is expressly forbidden to Muslims. The two have since been charged for the deed, among others, while police also allege that their action led to the kidnap and assault of a youth in Shah Alam, for which four men were yesterday charged. Muslims are obliged to observe a fast from dawn to dusk for 30 days during the holy month of Ramadan, which began this year on July 10. Muslims are the countrys dominant religious group and represent over 60 per cent of Malaysias population of 28 million.

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A cordon is seen around the sealed-off school canteen.

- See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/on-facebookstudents-shown-eating-in-school-toilet#sthash.mQTYGrB3.dpuf

Headmaster is Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor.

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SK SERI PRISTANA
PENTADBIRAN
Senarai Pentadbir Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana 2013 GURU BESAR:

En. Mohamad Nasir bin Mohd Noor GURU PENOLONG KANAN PENTADBIRAN/AKADEMIK:

En. Mazlan bin Mohamad Mohsin GURU PENOLONG KANAN HAL EHWAL MURID:

Pn. Hjh. Rohayah bt Omar GURU PENOLONG KANAN KOKURIKULUM :

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En. Abdul Rahman bin Abdul Karim GURU PENOLONG KANAN PETANG:

En. Sahardi bin Ismail

Non-Muslim students forced to eat in shower room

Malaysiakini 54 minutes ago View Photo

Photographs which have emerged online allegedly showing non-Muslim students of a primary school being made to eat in a shower room during fasting month, have angered netizens.

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The photographs uploaded supposedly by a parent on popular social networking site Facebook yesterday, shows students of SK Seri Pristina in Sungai Buloh sitting around tables set up in the school's changing or shower room. It is alleged that school authorities have made the students eat in the makeshift dining room, located next to the toilets. No food is believed to be served in the canteen, which is said to be closed during Ramadan. It was stated that Education officials have met with school authorities and parents at 2.30pm. In an immediate response on Twitter, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan ( below ) said the school has been instructed to change the location of the temporary eating room. He added that the ministry has requested an investigation into the matter. "If the canteen is under removation, a proper place should have been identified; surely not the changing room. "It is not the right thing to do. The school could have appointed a temporary canteen operator to run the operations during Ramadan," he said. Full of bacteria, says parent In her Facebook posting at 2.30 this morning, Guneswari Kelly, who claims to have a daughter schooling there, said the children are forced to eat there despite the foul stench. "The bathroom is full of bacteria and smells..., and the toilet next door has a horrible smell," she said. She claims that when parents complain, the children are just directed to another bathroom or a store room. "As a mother, I am in tears and sadness. How many times do they need to run...? Dear Malay friends, is this fair to you? Does your Allah allow this?" she asked.

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Her post has been shared more than 1,900 times and received more than 160 comments within 12 hours, including from Muslims who condemned the act and urged punishment against the school administrators. Some say they will lodge police reports while others posted the link to the headmaster's Facebook page, urging action. One FB user, Mythreyar Mutturamalinggam lodged a police report at the Tanjung Malim police station in Perak this afternoon. Meanwhile, commentor Emy Deen said: "I am a Malay and a Muslim and I certainly do not agree with this kind of treatment against another... "This is not the teachings of Islam. I hope those involved are punished accordingly. I wonder where they put their brains." Another commentor, who claims to be a teacher, said the children should have been allowed to eat at the canteen as usual but advised not to show off their food to the Muslim children who are fasting. "That is it. Not to hide (the children) in a place like this. Unwise decision by the GB," Akmar Zainal Mokhtar said, referring to the headmaster. Suguna Papachan added that the incident stemmed from a lack of policy to address differences in race and religion. "(The government) does not recognise that we are multi-religious, it doesn't recognise that we need to co-exist thus it (is not) that Islam is the official religion and that everyone should respect it and it only. "There should be respect of cultural and religious beliefs of all, for example, if Muslims fast in school, there should be food made available for students who aren't Muslims," she said.

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Pupils forced to eat in changing room

BY TASHNY SUKUMARAN The pupils having recess in the changing room. PETALING JAYA: Pictures of pupils eating in a changing room during recess supposedly so as not to offend fasting Muslims have surfaced on Facebook. The photos which have stirred up a controversy are said to have been taken at Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh. They show tables next to sinks and in front of shower stalls. A parent, Gunesweri Kelly, sharing the photos on Facebook, said on Tuesday the changing room smelled because there was a toilet next door. "As a mother I am in tears and sad. I need to help my child suffering in that room during the break," she said. She added that the school had not acknowledged her complaints. Netizens claimed that the school canteen was closed and cordoned off. The issue is also becoming a hot topic on Twitter, with people using the hashtag #makandalamtoilet to air their concern. Attempts to reach headmaster Mohamad Nasir Mohamad Noor have failed, as the landline number provided has been engaged since 2pm. Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan said: We view the matter with gravity and we will take stern action to ensure it will not recur.

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He ordered SMK Seri Pristina to immediately remove the temporary eating place set up in its changing room. "It has been done now," he Tweeted from his official account, @PKamalanathan.

"I have also asked the BPSH department to investigation why such a decision was made and why action should not be taken."

The Hulu Selangor MP said it was not the right thing to do.

He said the school could have appointed a temporary canteen operator to run operations during Ramadan.

"If the canteen is under renovation, a proper place should have been identified (to eat), surely not the changing room."

Education Ministry orders school to stop forcing pupils to eat in shower room
BY JENNI FER GOMEZ, T RI NNA LEONG AND Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY J ULY 23, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 23, 2013 05: 19 PM

The Education Ministry has ordered a Sungai Buloh school to stop ordering its nonMuslims pupils to have their recess meals in the schools shower room. Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan in a tweet said he had requested SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh to immediately make a more suitable place available. Expressing shock over the incident, Kamalanathan told The Malaysian Insider that while the holy month of Ramadan was to be observed with respect by Muslims, nonMuslims should be given the space to meals as usual.

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"The month is sacred to our Muslim brothers and sisters and there should be mutual respect. This, however, should not translate to demanding that non-Muslims not eat their meals in public places, in this case the young students. If the canteen is under renovation, a proper place should have been identified, surely not there (shower room)," he said. However, he requested all quarters not to jump the gun because is dealing with the problem. Meanwhile a spokesman from the Kuala Selangor district education office said investigations are being conducted by the district office and the Education Ministry. Officers from both the district office and the ministry were at the school earlier today. Earlier MIC chairman P. Punithan said they complained to the Education Ministry following the reports they had received last night. We cant assume anything, but looking at the pictures we can see that it is particularly Indian students who are seen sitting in what looks like a shower room, he told The Malaysian Insider. If this is found to be true we want immediate action to be taken against the headmaster, he said, adding that he will be visiting the school tomorrow. The pictures of the pupils having their meal have gone viral and angered netizens after it was posted on Facebook. It is believed the school ordered the students to have their meals there because it is the fasting month. In her Facebook post, Guneswari, a mother, stated: "They (the school) restricted our children to go canteen becoz (because) they (the pupils) will dirty (the canteen) and gave them bilik bersalin n mandi (changing room and shower room) for rehat (recess). They quanteen (quarantine) them not to go out from break. "Is this fair? Can school treat like this. No food serve n (and) no canteen. That bathroom is full of bacteria n smell becoz (because) its a bathroom n next door toilet with the horrible smell." She went on to say that when she asked the school about it, the children were sent to another bathroom and to a storeroom. - July 23, 2013.

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Ministry to probe school over 'recess in shower room'

by Azril Annuar

Photos taken from Guneswari's Facebook

Pupils were pictured having their meals in the changing and shower room. Photos taken from Guneswari's Facebook page.

PETALING JAYA (July 23): The Education Ministry will be investigating Sekolah Kebangsaan Sri Pristana for the "demeaning" way that the school was allegedly treating nonMuslim pupils during Ramadhan.

fz.com discovered that yesterday, Guneswari Kelly, whose child is studying in the school, had posted pictures of pupils having their recess meals in the schools changing room that was located next to the toilet on social media site Facebook.

In her Facebook post, Guneswari, a mother, stated: "They (the school) restricted our children to go canteen becoz (because) they (the pupils) will dirty (the canteen) and gave them bilik bersalin n mandi (changing room and shower room) for rehat (recess). They quanteen (quarantine) them not to go out from break.

"Is this fair? Can school treat like this. No food serve n (and) no canteen. That bathroom is full of bacteria n smell becoz (because) its a bathroom n next door toilet with the horrible smell."

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She went on to say that when she asked the school about the matter, the children were sent to another bathroom and store room.

It was understood that Guneswari has contacted one of Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan's officer via Facebook on the incident. When contacted, Kamalanathan replied tofz.comvia an SMS that he was in the "middle of a discussion".

In a series of tweets, Kamalanathan responded that it shouldn't have happened in the first place and he has requested the school to remove the temporary eating place from the changing room, which according to him has been carried out already.

He added that: "The ministry views such issues with gravity and will surely take stern action to ensure its (sic) not repeated."

He also welcome feedback from the public on such callous actions to ensure that these incidents do not recur.

Whenfz.comalerted Education Director-General Tan Sri Abdul Ghafar Mahmud on the incident, he stated that he has directed the Selangor State Education Department Director Mahmud Karim to investigate the matter.

"I have instructed the Selangor State Education Department Director to get further information on the issue. If this is true, it should never have happened in the first place. They will investigate to take further action," Abdul Ghafar toldfz.com.

Although the pictures of the toilets seemed to be clean, the responses from the public were overwhelming in their anger towards the schools administration simply because it is "demeaning" and "insulting" to place primary school children in a changing room for them to

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have their recess meals. Read more:http://www.fz.com/content/ministry-probe-school-over-recess-showerroom#ixzz2ZquKv74F

Gambar tunjuk murid makan di bilik air sekolah

Beberapa keping gambar di Facebook yang didakwa memaparkan murid bukan Muslim makan di kawasan bilik air di sebuah sekolah sewaktu bulan puasa mencetuskan kontroversi di kalangan pengguna Internet hari ini. Gambar itu dikesan dimuatkan oleh ibu bapa kepada pelajar di SK Seri Pistana, yang terletak berhampiran Sungai Buloh. Ia menunjukkan pelajar duduk di meja makan yang terletak dalam kawasan bilik air sekolah tersebut. Pihak sekolah didakwa mengarahkan murid-murid makan dalam bilik makan sementara itu yang terletak bersebelahan tandas. Kantin sekolah juga didakwa ditutup dan dipercayai tidak menyediakan sebarang makanan sepanjang bulan Ramadan.

Sementara itu, timbalan menteri pelajaran P Kamalanathan dalam satu kenyataan petang ini menyebut, beliau telah meminta sekolah berkenaan untuk memindahkan kawasan makan sementara tersebut. Tindakan tersebut sedang dijalankan pada masa ini, katanya lagi di Facebook. Mengulas lanjut, beliau berkata pihak sekolah tidak sepatutnya memindah kawasan makan ke bilik air. Sekiranya kantin berkenaan ditutup untuk proses naiktaraf, satu kawasan yang lebih sesuai perlu dikenalpasti untuk dijadikan ruang makan, katanya. "Ini bukan tindakan yang betul. Sekolah sepatutnya melantik satu pengendali kantin sementara untuk menjalankan operasi semasa Ramadan," katanya lagi.

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Siasatan ke atas kes berkenaan kini sedang berjalan untuk mengenalpasti jika sekolah tersebut tidak harus dikenakan tindakan, katanya.

Shock and anger over school's skewed understanding of Ramadan

Harakahdaily, 23 July 2013

Jul 23: Not only fasting during Ramadan is not obligatory for non-Muslims, underage children are also exempt from it. Yet a school has taken it upon itself to implement its strange understanding of this Islamic obligation by forcing its non-Muslim students to only eat in the shower-cumdressing room during recess time. Photos of the hapless schoolchildren being forced to consume food in the unsuitable place have gone viral on social media websites, with netizens both Muslims and nonMuslims expressing shock and horror. Tables and chairs are seen outside cubicles where students are supposed to have their meals. Many have demanded action against the principal of the school, which has been now identified to be Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh, Selangor. It is understood that the school's canteen is closed throughout Ramadan, which began two weeks ago. The Education Ministry must act. This is clearly an insult to Islam, remarks one Facebook commentator. In a swift response, deputy Education minister II P Kamalanathan tweeted that his ministry officials had already met with the school authorities and instructed them to remove the ruling on food consumption during Ramadan. "The Ministry views such issues with gravity and will surely take stern action to ensure its not repeated," he said. A check on the school's website reveals that its headmaster is Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor. The school also has a Facebook fanpage at www.facebook.com/skseripristana.

School In Hot Water For Allegedly Making Students Eat In 'Bathroom'

Tuesday, 23 July 2013 14:28 The photo of SK Seri Pristana that has gone viral. Pic: Facebook Guneswari KellyThe photo of SK Seri Pristana that has gone viral. Pic: Facebook Guneswari KellyKUALA LUMPUR: Several

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photos have been circulating online depicting non-Muslim students eating in what appears to be a bathroom. The photos were shared by Facebook user Guneswari Kelly, accompanied by a statement alleging that the students are forced to have their breaks in the bathroom because of the fasting month. The school facing this controversy is Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Bandar Saujana Utama. Meanwhile, Facebook user Mohd Masri Mohd Ramli said that he was told the canteen is currently under construction. That probably led to the reason behind the school relocating its eating place. However, relocating it to a changing room/bathroom has angered many parents and social network users. Deputy education minister P.Kamalanathan posted on his Twitter account that the school has been asked to immediately relocate the temporary eating room from the changing room. He added that investigation has been requested to find out why such a decision was made in the first place. Earlier, Youth and Sports Minister Khairy Jamaluddin was made aware of the situation and he posted a message on his Twitter account stating that P. Kamalanathan has been informed and is checking the matter out. The photos have since gone viral, with netizens posting messages on the school's Facebook page, inquiring if the incident is true. Messages have also been sent to the school principal's Facebook message by concerned netizens, however it is unclear if the principal has responded. The principal Mohamad Nasir Mohd Nor has taken quite a hit online, with many social network users venting out their anger on him, mostly in disbelief that a principal would allow such a thing to happen. The messages posted on the school's Facebook page have yet to receive a reply. Malaysian Digest is still trying to get in touch with the school in question, however the line has been engaged. --Md

Students forced to eat meals in toilet area

G Lavendran | July 23, 2013

A primary school in Sungai Buloh cordons off its canteen area with red plastic tape, forcing its non Muslim students to have their meals in the school's shower room

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PETALING JAYA: The Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh has come under fire from netizens after a parent posted photos on Facebook of non Muslim students having their meals in the schools shower area, next door to the toilets. It shows students eating food on makeshift tables and benches placed in the shower area, ostensibly a decision made by school because of the fasting month of Ramadan. Angry netizens poured scorn on the school management for their decision to discriminate against the non-Muslim children by forcing them to have their meals in the shower area during recess. One Facebook user, Harris Nasril, said that it was ridiculous for the school management to make non-Muslim children to eat in a shower room space next to the toilets as if there were no other rooms available. This school is nonsense. As a Muslim, Im sorry to hear this. Islam never teaches this kind of thing. The headmaster can use any other room, even the library, This is totally unacceptable, he said. Another Facebook user, Emy Deen also commented saying that other races do not have to be treated this way just so that the Muslims can fast for Ramadan. Im a Malay and a Muslim. Certainly I dont agree with this kind of treatment of another race, this is not the teaching of Islam.

I hope those who are involved in this will be punished accordingly, she said. Police report lodged Chairman of the National Indian-Rights Action Team (NIAT) Thasleem Mohd Ibrahim told FMT that he will be wing a letter to the school immediately to demand an explanation.

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This is really shocking. We tried to call the school but their phone line is engaged. I will be writing to them officially and will also visit the school tomorrow. If this is true, the school will have to apologise to the affected students and their parents. This is really absurd, he added. A police report has also been lodged in Perak by an angry netizen against the school management and its principal. Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan, meanwhile, said that his ministry will not stay mum on this issue and will take immediate action. In a Twitter message, Kamalanathan said the school has been instructed to change the location of the eating room.

Makan Di Bathroom
SK Durai During my school visits, Ive seen many type of difficulties being faced by the school kids. Some of the schools are in a condition where they do not even have proper materials resorting them to study in a deplorable condition. Some of the more shocking cases are kids studying inhaling toxic wastes from nearby factories and eating in canteens infested with poisonous snakes. These are the cases that Ive personally seen. To this date, the kids are still studying in the same condition. All these cases are a norm in Tamil schools and Orang Asli schools. Neglected and denied proper facilities, the kids are studying in a condition Ive only seen in countries like India and Cambodia. Recently,

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A 12-year-old pupil from Batu Berendam, Melaka, lodged a police report yesterday alleging that her disciplinary teacher had called her a prostitute after mistakenly blaming her to be part of a group that had made noise and created trouble for another teacher. Look at how weve progressed so far. Teacher calling a kid; slut. And previously weve had cases teacher calling a kid, Keling. And many other cases. Last year, during a visit to a school in Perak, I saw kids eating nearby drain because they do not have a proper canteen. I thought that was the worst thing I had seen

Image credit to Guneswari Kelly

Today, I saw a number of pictures posted by a mother of a kid who claimed that her school childrens are eating nearby toilets during their break time. When I browsed through the pictures, I was beyond shocked. Never had in my life Ive seen school kids being placed inside a bathroom to consume their meals.

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How can someone be so fucking dumb to put these kids in bathroom for their break? The bathroom is located beside the toilet. Will you be able to eat where you shit? The school headmaster, obviously an adult; must be really insensitive and freaking stupid to give such an instruction. How can the rest of the teachers in the school ignore such an act?

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Of course, I will tell you the next course of action. Education Ministry would be contacted. State Education Department will turun to do some thorough investigation. Ministers and all political dogs would be barking nonstop blaming the school for their act. And then after a few days, everything dies down and back to normal. And then another case will pop up. The cycle continues. The next time someone does this he should be slapped with shit. Ok, kaigeleh, kalepenggel

School details: SEKOLAH KEBANGSAAN SERI PRISTANA , JALAN SP 2/1 SERI PRISTANA 4700 SUNGAI BULOH SELANGOR. TEL NO 03 60391594 FAX 0360391595 GURU BESAR MOHAMAD NASIR BIN MOHD NOOR

Kementerian Pendidikan lawat sekolah kontroversi makan dalam tandas

OLEH JENNI FER GOMEZ J ULY 23, 2013

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Biro Pendidikan MIC sudah membuat laporan kepada Kementerian Pendidikan berhubung kontroversi keputusan sebuah sekolah rendah di Sungai Buloh yang didakwa mengarahkan pelajar bukan Islam makan tengah hari di tandas. Pengerusi biro berkenaan, P Punithan berkata, mereka membuat aduan kepada Kementerian Pendidikan berhubung aduan yang mereka terima malam tadi. Katanya, Kementerian Pendidikan menghantar pegawai ke SK Seri Pristana di Sungai Buloh sebelum tengah hari untuk membuat siasatan. Sementara itu, Timbalan Menteri Pelajaran, P Kamalanathan dalam kenyataan petang ini menyebut, beliau meminta sekolah berkenaan untuk memindahkan kawasan makan sementara itu. "Tindakan itu sedang dijalankan pada masa ini," katanya lagi di Facebook. Mengulas lanjut, beliau berkata pihak sekolah tidak sepatutnya memindah kawasan makan ke tandas. Katanya, jika kantin berkenaan ditutup untuk proses naik taraf, satu kawasan yang lebih sesuai perlu dikenal pasti untuk dijadikan ruang makan. "Ini bukan tindakan yang betul. Sekolah sepatutnya melantik satu pengendali kantin sementara untuk menjalankan operasi semasa Ramadan," katanya lagi. Siasatan ke atas kes berkenaan kini sedang berjalan untuk mengenal pasti jika sekolah itu tidak harus dikenakan tindakan, katanya. 23 Julai, 2013.
TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

Kanak2 Sekolah Ini Makan Dalam Bilik Air. [MP Tolong Alert]
Menghormati bulan ramadhan atau apa? Lihat gambar2 kat bawah neh dulu ;

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Oke. Tadi ada orang mesej aku. Dan ada orang share link neh di wall aku. Dua individu yang berbeza. Yang mesej aku tak bagitau nama sekolah neh tapi dia citer kat aku bahawanya ; 1. Kanak2 non muslim disuruh berehat dalam bilik air. 2. Mereka makan kat sini sepanjang bulan puasa hari tue.

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3. Alasan tak dinyatakan dengan jelas tetapi ibu bapa non muslim sedih anak2 diperlakukan seperti berikut. 4. Kata mereka, meskipun bilik air tersebut telah dibersihkan tetapi still berbau. So tak selesa untuk anak2 mereka makan. 5. Aduan sudah dihantar berkali2 tetapi pihak sekolah buat bodoh jek. 6. Sekolah yang dinyatakan ialah Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Sri Pristana. Seperti yang aku petik dari link asal yang disharekan. ==> https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10200899734149459&set=pcb .10200899734349464&type=1&relevant_count=1&ref=nf 7. Apa yang ibu bapa neh minta ialah kemudahan kantin jek. Dulu member2 cina aku sebelum nak minum dalam kelas, dorang tanya aku. Saya nak minum, sorry ya. Jangan marah. Aku cakap minum je la. Aku satusen tak heran. Aku percaya budak2 non muslim neh hormati rakan2 yang berpuasa tetapi perlu kah kita melayan mereka sampai macam neh sekali? Lemah sangat ka iman kita sampai budak2 neh kena makan sorok2 dan makan dalam bilik air? Mohon kes neh di siasat dan dengar penjelasan dari kesemua pihak sebelum mengambil apa2 pendekatan, kesimpulan dan tindakan. Tq.
Read more: http://amenoworld.blogspot.com/2013/07/hot-kanak2-sekolah-ini-makandalam.html#ixzz2Zqf37GfN

School 'forces' students to eat in shower room

Photographs which have emerged online allegedly showing non-Muslim students of a primary school being made to eat in a shower room during fasting month, have angered netizens. The photographs uploaded supposedly by a parent on popular social networking site Facebook yesterday, allegedly from a school near Sungai Buloh, shows students sitting around tables set up in the schools changing or shower room.

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It is alleged that school authorities have made the students eat in the makeshift dining room, located next to the toilets. No food is believed to be served in thecanteen, which is said to be closed for the entire month of Ramadhan. Malaysiakini is withholding the identity of the school pending response from the school authorities. It is also checking with the Education Ministry and state education department who are said to be aware of this matter.

My response to the Sekolah Sri Pristana Incident

This year the Muslim month of Ramadan began on 9 July. During Ramadan, Muslims fast. From dawn to dusk they deny themselves food and water. For 28 days x 24 hours/day, they restrain their emotions, give up bad habits and exercise more than usual generosity. They remind themselves what it means to be thirsty and hungry.

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Many Muslims also read the Quran and attend prayers at mosques more frequently than they would in the other eleven months of the year.

In Malaysia, as in other countries with large Muslim populations, a carnival atmosphere fills the air. Special foods are prepared, sold and consumed. Its common for families and social groups to break fast together. Hotels and restaurants offer special menus for breaking fast.

The roads are a lot less crowded than usual during the time of breaking fast sometimes people stop their cars by the road side and break their fast.

Its a season for doing good, and for showing restraint while others do not. Some Muslims have even said to me that they gain merit by serving refreshments to non-Muslim guests in their homes while not partaking themselves.

So its with some horror that I read about whats been happening in a coed primary school located not far from where I live. The story surfaced 2 weeks into Ramadan.

It seems the canteen in the school has been closed for Ramadan and nonMuslim and (therefore non-fasting) students have been asked to eat their meals in the schools shower rooms. It also seems like there are in-use toilets close to the shower room, and the smell from the toilets fills the air. Both boys and girls eat their meals in the room. Its not clear whether the shower room is for boys or for girls.

The mother of one of the students was informed about this by a driver who ferries her daughter to the school. [I wonder why the daughter hadnt said anything to her mother.] The mother couldnt believe what she was told. So she went to see for herself. Her disbelief turned into horror and rage. She confronted the schools afternoon supervisor, but didnt get a satisfactory response. So she took photos and posted them on Facebook.

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The photos and her notes went viral. The comments began to spiral. It turned into a racial thing: this is what they do to us. Then people became incensed with the school authorities. The deputy Minister of Education, an Indian, was brought into the fray. Muslims criticized the schools headmaster and teachers. People began saying this is the state of our nation thanks to the governments tolerance, nay promotion, of intolerance of non-Malays.

I do not wish to downplay the seriousness of whats going on. I think it unconscionable that the school canteen should be closed for business during Ramadan. I think it unconscionable that students should be barred from the canteen premises during Ramadan. Shouldnt schools cater to Muslim as well as non-Muslim students? I think it unconscionable that students should be expected to eat their meals in a shower room, filled with toilet smells.

I do not wish to downplay the seriousness of whats going on. Why arent people asking whether the shower room is still used as a shower room? Why arent people asking when the shower room began to be used as a place to eat? [Especially since one news report says the conversion of the shower room occurred in March.] Why are people zeroing in on this one incident as if its typical of every school in Malaysia? Why arent people talking about other schools? Why are we so eager to see the worst in everyone?

I noticed that Sinar Harian, a Malay Daily has expressed outrage over what the students have had to endure. Sinar Harian interviewed and gave voice to 4 non-Muslim parents whose children attend the school. Sinar Harian even noted that the school has 28 non-Muslim students, 74 teachers, and a total of 1,373 students AND that reporters from the state news agency, Bernama, couldn't get access to the Headmaster!

So far, this appears to be a matter concerning one school, with 74 teachers, probably including one or more Islamic religious teachers. What have they done? What will they do? What do they say is the reason for cordoning off the canteen during Ramadan? How joyful will they be when they break their fasts this Ramadan? What will their (Malay-Muslim) friends say to them in the suraus, mosques and open houses?

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Updated: Wednesday July 24, 2013 MYT 2:41:46 PM

School canteen controversy resolved, says Kamalanathan

BY TASHNY SUKUMARAN

Education and Higher Learning Deputy Minister P Kamalanathan.

SUNGAI BULOH: The issue of a school making students eat in a changing room has been resolved and the canteen will be reopened to students from Wednesday. "As far as we are concerned, the issue is resolved. The headmaster had good intentions but chose a poor location. He has apologised. I too apologise. It won't happen again," said Education and Higher Learning Deputy Minister P Kamalanathan. He said that the Ministry had taken immediate action on the case and we would be conducting spot checks on other schools.

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Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana, Sungai Buloh.

"The changing rooms had been used along with the canteen by all students since March, because the canteen can only seat 500 to 600 people. SK Seri Pristana has 1,300 students," the Hulu Selangor MP told reporters during a press conference at the school canteen. "Due to renovations beginning in the canteen two weeks ago, all children were asked to eat in the changing rooms. This is because teachers were concerned the kids might get hurt during renovations," he explained.
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The renovations, now completed, were to install glass doors for the teacher's section of the canteen. Kamalanathan also said the school had applied for an allocation from the ministry to extend the cafeteria which was too small to accommodate all its students. "I will also be making a personal contribution of RM10,000," he said, agreeing that the school had not complied with school facility guidelines.

Video mocking canteen issue slammed

Lisa J. Ariffin | July 24, 2013

Netizens slam distasteful parody video mocking non-Muslim students having meals in school's shower room.
VIDEO INSIDE

PETALING JAYA: Internet users have slammed a parody video mocking non-Muslim students having their meals in their schools shower area, next door to the toilets. The parody video uploaded on YouTube yesterday was in response to a primary school in Sungai Buloh, which cordoned off its canteen area with red plastic tape, forcing its non-Muslim students to have theirmeals in the schools shower room. Instead of drawing laughter, the video by DanKhooProductions has incurred the wrath of YouTubers, who have slammed the directors for their distasteful take on the issue.

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The video titled Makan Dalam Tandas (Eating in Toilet) depicts two youths taking turns to eat in the toilet while the other urinates or defecates. Another scene depicts one of them about to eat in the kitchen, but was told to eat in the toilet instead. Maybe some people view this video as a parody on the latest issue where the students had to eat in the shower room. But the problems faced by the parents and students have been taken advantage of by certain parties to make parody videos. To those involved, I dont think this video should have been made, user Ecwo Grace commented today. Stupid video made by stupid people. Only stupid people would find this entertaining. Very insensitive to the problems of others, another user commented. A barrage of criticisms then ensued, with many telling the directors to get your facts right before making a video, be more sensitive and just stop making any more videos. As of 12.34pm today, the offensive video has been made private due to mounting criticisms against the duo. Yesterday, Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh came under fire from netizens after a parent posted photos on Facebook of non-Muslim students having their meals in the schools shower area. It shows students eating food on makeshift tables and benches placed in the shower area, ostensibly a decision made by school because of the fasting month of Ramadan. However, it was reported that the school canteen was facing a problem in accommodating 350 students who go for recess at same time. The headmaster then decided to use one of the changing rooms as a makeshift canteen and equipped it with chairs and tables. This makeshift canteen had been operating since March 2013. TUESDAY, JULY 23, 2013

This is not about race or religion, says deputy minister

Using an

the shower room as a makeshift canteen is not issue related to race or religion, Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan said today. Speaking to reporters at the SK Seri Pristana canteen, Kamalanathan said the issue pertains location of the makeshift canteen, as it has

to the been

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used since March this year. "Let me make this clear. This is not about religionor race," he said, after initial reports suggested that only non-Muslim students were told to eat in the makeshift canteen during the Ramadan month. "It happened to be that the canteen renovation started one to two weeks ago," he added. Kamalanathan also said the school's Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) has been aware of the makeshift canteen since March as the matter was discussed in a meeting prior to its implementation.

Once we were beautiful - Art Harun

J ULY 24, 2013

I am blessed. So are many of my friends who are of or around my age. So are many who are older than me. As a child of the 60s, I went through my formative years in an English-stream school. It was a big school in town. And there were hundreds of us Malays, Chinese and Indian boys (it wasn't co-ed). Our first headmaster was a Chinese gentleman who was as fierce as they came those days. When he left, he was replaced by an Indian gentleman, who also was as fierce. My first class teacher was Ms Leong, all long haired and short skirted. And yes, armed with a wooden ruler, she would knock my knuckles for failing to properly write the number 8. My first English sentence, learnt on the first day at school was to be uttered after raising my right hand, "Please teacher may I go out?"

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That was to be said if any of us had to go to the toilet to do the normal stuffs we all do in the toilet (and not to eat). Then there were Mr Linggam, Cikgu Aziz and wife, Sharom, Mr Lee the karate guy, Mr Khor, Cikgu Mutalib and various others. We were a happy bunch. We played together, ate together, learned together and of course, at times, punished together. And we were equal. In standard 5, I began fasting. The school canteen stayed open for the whole month. No renovation. No closure. Muslim and non-Muslim kids, who did not fast, ate as usual. If they bought a proper meal, such like nasi lemak or mee goreng, they would eat at the canteen. If it was some kind of snack, they would just eat while walking around, in the class or where ever. No fuss. No issue. No problem. My impressionable years were spent in a boarding school. It was the same scenario. All of us, regardless of race or religion studied together, ate together, played together and at times, getting one or two rotan together. Visiting a non-Malay house was not a problem. Eating there was not a problem too. Sharing food with non-Muslims was not an issue. Things have however, sadly, changed. And change for the worse. Nowadays, non-Muslims don't send their kids to national school anymore. They prefer to send the kids to the vernacular schools. The ones who could afford would send their kids to private schools. National schools are almost invariably filled with Muslim/Malay students.

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National schools would recite prayers before class begin in the morning. Quranic verses and hadith would adorn walls in the canteen, school office and even classes. Ustaz and ustazah would even ask school kids to raise their hands if their parents do not pray 5 times a day. In secondary schools, the tudung is not compulsory for girls - according to the Ministry of Education's circular, if I am not mistaken - but girls without tudung would be viewed askance by schoolmates and teachers alike. Due to the small number of non-Muslim/Malay kids in national schools, the Malay kids do not have the opportunity to mix around and integrate with non-Malays in their formative and impressionable years. The small number of non-Malay kids also gives a sense of false superiority complex to the Malay kids as well as teachers. Thus, my race and my religion are more important than you, your religion and everything else. Hence the closure of the school canteen during Ramadhan. This is prevailing in many national schools. Apparently, this is done to "respect" the Muslim students who are fasting. Forget the fact that non-Muslims do not fast and they, like any other human beings or animals, have to eat and drink. Forget the fact that there are Muslim kids who do not fast. Anybody who just about mentions the word "food" would have been taken as insulting Islam. On Facebook last week, there were two guys admonishing a hotel which advertised its breakfast package on its page. They viewed it as disrespectful. But to be fair, the two were widely condemned by other Muslim facebookers. The eating-in-the-changing-room debacle yesterday is just the surface of a far unhealthier trend in Malaysia.

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Beneath that surface is a society which is fractious, intolerant, selfish and uncompromising. The obvious question is how did we, as a nation, become like this? As a nation we started so well. The Federal Constitution was agreed upon by consensus between three major races anchored to give-and-take and win-win camaraderie. There was a blemish in 1969 but that was quickly nipped in the bud and we soldiered on. In football, we were in the Olympic final in 1972 and 1980. By the law of progression, we should be in the World Cup by now. By contrast, Japan and Korea, whom we used to beat, were already in the quarter-finals of the World Cup. We now struggle to beat the likes of Vietnam and even Singapore. Like our football team, the state of our racial integration and inter-faith relationship has moved in reverse gear. Years of political posturing utilizing religion and race have now begun to show its ugly consequences. The so-called Islamisation that we embark upon, which is shorn of any meaningful spiritual understanding of the religion, but rather born out of political necessities, convenience and mired in political one-upmanship has now produced a nation which is unsure of itself and a people who are fractious, angry, suspicious and at odd with each other. We need to take a real good look at ourselves and examine our ways. And we need to reboot our operating system if we want to avoid a total crash. And we need to reboot fast. - July 24, 2013.

This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malaysian Insider.

MALAYSIA

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Kamalanathan comes under fire for quick closure on Sg Buloh school issue
BY Y I SW AREE PALANSAMY J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 25, 2013 05: 29 AM

Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan was taken to task today for appearing to be in a hurry to close the "eating in the shower room" case at SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh without apportioning any blame on the school. Leading the attack on the deputy minister was the MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong who stressed the matter cannot be put to rest simply with a visit to the school. "Not especially when they school admitted that they have been doing it since March," he told The Malaysian Insider. "An apology from the school is not enough. The headmaster should be suspended." Wee, a former deputy education minister, claimed it was also not enough for Kamalanathan to say: "..okay, this is all resolved so let's forget it.." "This is ridiculous as the matter is severe. To treat pupils this way is unacceptable. "It is also insulting and humiliating to the non-Muslim pupils and their parents." Wee also took a dig at a photograph which had been circulating in social media today which showed the school staff also breaking fast in the shower room. The MCA youth chief said the school cannot justify what they did to the pupils by showing that their staff also broke fast in the shower room. He pointed out that while the headmaster and school staff had the option to break fast wherever they wanted to, the pupils could not do the same as they were forced into the shower room during the short recess period.

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Parent Action Group for Education (Page) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said that Kamalanathan should have engaged the parents of the affected pupils before coming out with his statement that the matter has been resolved. Kamalanathan had reportedly said he had met the school authorities and the parent teachers association (PTA) during his visit there this afternoon. "More often than not, PTAs are forced to act in the interest of the school and they really do not represent all parents," she said. "Using the shower room to have their meals is totally unacceptable. A meeting with the parents should have been arranged to gauge both sides of the story on the incident," she said, adding that the school had handled the entire issue wrongly. Former MIC Central Working Committee (CWC) member S. Vell Paari also agreed that the headmaster was committing "mistake after mistake" in trying to close the matter. "It does not matter if the shower room was a temporary measure. It should not have been used at all." Vell Paari also commented on the photograph which showed school staff and pupils breaking fast in the same shower room. "What are they trying to prove? They don't seem to understand the issue. "What everyone is angry about is the fact that children are told to eat in the shower room. This is wrong from any point of view. "It does not make sense to put the pupils in a small shower room when there were other open spaces in the school grounds. Vell Paari said the headmaster's action were "baseless and inhumane" and stern action must be taken against him immediately. - July 24, 2013.

Lying to cover up misdeeds: Is that halal? Ravinder Singh

JULY 26, 2013

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JULY 26 The malaise with our civil service, most visible in the case of police lock-up deaths, is that the culprits either get off scot free or with a mere slap on the wrist. This is no deterrent for future failures to perform, but rather a tacit approval of misbehaviour. It only emboldens those who are inclined towards misbehaviour to misbehave and get away smiling. Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamads administration had taught the civil servants that (1) laws are a hindrance to development and (2) that if you tell a lie and repeat it often enough people will believe it is the truth. This culture of administration was epitomised by Dr Mahathir when he was furious with Tun Musa Hitam over the Papan radioactive waste dump issue early in his long reign. The Asian Rare Earth factory in Papan, on the outskirts of Ipoh, had been storing its waste in drums within its premises. The ageing drums started leaking and after complaints from the residents that their health had been affected by the radioactivity, the factory was required to construct a proper dump complying with international specifications for such facilities to store those drums. A site on a hillock nearby was chosen to construct the storage facility which consisted of several trenches dug into the ground. Each trench was approximately 25m long, 3m deep, 5m wide at the top and 3m wide at the base, i.e. like a flat-bottomed V when seen in cross-section. The bottom and side-walls were supposed to be lined with strong, fourinch thick steel-reinforced concrete. Within walking distance of the hillock, on lower ground, were kampung houses. It is very hard to believe there was no corruption involved. There must have been officers responsible for inspecting the trenches under construction. This was not a kampung well that was being made. Did they do their work at all? If so, they were clearly closing both eyes to what was going on. Why did they do so? Did they close their eyes on their own, or were they under instructions to close their eyes? It is the concerned residents (some of whom had already been affected by the high radioactivity in the area) who were monitoring the construction. Seeing the extremely shoddy work, they complained. They complained because there was not an inch of concrete, let alone steel-reinforced concrete. Any fool could see this as the RC concrete walls of the trenches had started breaking off and falling into the trenches. No way any radioactive waste could be stored

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in these trenches as no sooner it is put there, it would leak into the ground and into ground water and end up in the streams and wells below the hillock. The cries of the residents were met with assurances after assurances from the authorities that the trenches were being constructed according to specifications. Frustrated, they appealed to and even begged the PM Dr Mahathir to visit the dumpsite and see for himself whether the statements being made by the departments concerned had an iota of truth. No, Dr Mahathirs pride (or arrogance?) would not move him to do such a thing. He could not acknowledge that there were weaknesses in his administration. If he did go, he would have to pull up those who had closed their eyes. That would besmirch his perfect administration. He had been very critical of Tunku Abdul Rahman for being a humble and simple PM, who he implied in his Malay Dilemma was not fit to be a PM. Events took a drastic turn soon after. Dr Mahathir went on overseas leave for about three weeks. Musa, his then deputy, took over as acting PM. The Papan residents now pleaded with Musa to visit the site and see for himself. This down-to-earth man did exactly that. He must have been shocked by what he saw for straightaway he condemned the trenches as unfit to store the radioactive waste. Musa had done the right thing but little did he envision what was in store for him. As soon as Dr Mahathir returned, Musa was hauled up for having brought disrepute to the government. Yes, Musa was actually scolded and given a lecture that when any government department or agency had taken a public stand on any matter, immaterial whether rightly or wrongly, that stand had to be defended to the end. Musa had therefore brought shame and disgrace to the government by his admission that the poor people of Papan were correct and all the government statements on the dump had been wrong. Musa could not take it that he was expected to lie to the nation to defend some corrupted people who had been giving false reports on the construction of the dumps. He immediately threw in the towel and said goodbye to the perfect administration of Dr Mahathir. Curious to know who was right, Dr Mahathir or Musa, I went to have a look at the dumps. The complainants were 100 per cent correct and Musa was straight and honest. I saw huge chunks of the cement plaster applied to the sidewalls that had broken off and fallen into the trenches. At places, the plaster was only about half-an-inch thick. Yes, it was just cement plaster whereas the specs were for trench lining with four-inch thick

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steel-reinforced concrete. Any untrained person could see this but officials responsible were claiming it conformed to the specs and Dr Mahathir was supporting them to the hilt. What did Dr Mahathir teach the civil servants? Take some action to placate concerned people or complainants (in this case, order a dump to be built), then care two hoots how the dump is built. If complaints come about the construction, tell a lie and keep repeating it over and over until the people wear out and resign to the fact that they cannot do anything and stop complaining. Its unbelievable that a medical doctor should throw the Hippocratic Oath that he had taken into the drain upon becoming prime minister. Of all people, with his medical training, he should have been the most concerned person about the health and wellbeing of the residents of Papan. He should have easily understood the predicament of the people exposed to high levels of radiation. But no, he was out to prove that his government was the best, was infallible, even if he had to lie to do so and get the whole government machinery to lie with him. After Dr Mahathir introduced his tell a lie philosophy, I heard a Muslim friend say that it is not wrong to tell a lie if the purpose of telling a lie is for the good of an organisation. He was talking of some trade union matter. May I humbly ask Muslim scholars to tell us when it is halal to tell a lie, and when it is haram to do so. Was it right in Islam for Dr Mahathir to lie about the radioactive waste dump? Is it right in Islam to say that the good image of a government must be defended even if lies have to be told and repeated, as preached by Dr Mahathir? We see this legacy continuing as in the case of toilet-gate at SK Seri Pristana. The school does something drastically wrong, the school creates stories about non-existent renovations to defend its wrongful action and even goes to the extent to stage a sandiwara buka puasa in the toilet-canteen, the Education Ministry goes to the scene beating its chest that it will take appropriate action only to repeat the stories of the school administration. And to placate the irate parents and public the deputy minister performs his own sandiwara of a RM10,000 on-the-spot personal donation with promise of more to come to expand the school canteen. If the school canteen can accommodate 500 as reported, then it is big enough and needs no expansion. A 500-capacity canteen can easily cater to the 600 to 700 students in each session as it is school SOP to break up the recess into two sessions. Compare this with how Singapore handled the case of its police officer charged with the murder of two persons. Was it disgraceful or honourable for Singapore to admit what

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had happened, and do so immediately and very openly? And compare this with how our police handled the few hundred cases of sudden deaths in custody? When will Malaysia divorce itself from the tell a lie legacy of Dr Mahathir? * This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of The Malay Mail Online. See more at: http://www.themalaymailonline.com/what-you-think/article/lying-tocover-up-misdeeds-is-that-halal-ravinder-singh#sthash.tGgbOspq.dpuf

MCA: Siasat segera kes makan di bilik persalinan

OLEH HASBULLAH AW ANG CHI K J ULY 24, 2013 LAT EST UPDAT E: JULY 24, 2013 05: 52 PM

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SK Seri Pristana yang menimbulkan kontroversi apabila mengarahkan murid bukan Islam makan di bilik persalinan. - Gambar The Malaysian Insider oleh Nazir Sufari, 24 Julai, 2013.Kementerian

Pendidikan harus menjalankan siasatan dan

memastikan tidak berlaku lagi kejadian makan di bilik persalinan menurut Ketua Pemuda MCA Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong. Beliau berkata alasan pihak pengurusan SRK Seri Pristana tidak dapat diterima kerana menganggap perbuatan tersebut sebagai wajar menjadikan bilik persalinan sebagai kantin kepada murid-murid bukan Islam. "Kami menggesa Kementerian Pendidikan menjalankan siasatan menyeluruh bagi memastikan insiden berkenaan tidak berulang sebagai pengulangan menguji ketegangan kaum di Malaysia. "Setiap orang di Malaysia, tanpa mengira bangsa dan budaya telah mempelajari latar belakang masyarakat pelbagai kaum dan saling menghormati dan memahami antara satu sama lain. Sebagai contoh, golongan bukan Islam mengelak untuk makan dan minum di hadapan orang Islam. Ini contoh mudah saling hormat-menghormati," ujar beliau dalam satu kenyataan media hari ini. Beliau menegaskan meletakkan murid bukan Islam untuk makan di bilik persalinan tidak boleh diterima kerana turut menghina dan memalukan murid dan ibu bapa. Wee berkata dari segi kesihatan jelas perbuatan yang jijik menjadikan bilik persalinan atau tandas untuk makan kerana ini perkara yang telah diketahui. Ketua Pemuda MCA itu menyanggah perbuatan guru besar berbuka puasa di bilik persalinan semata-mata menghalalkan perbuatan berkenaan yang nyata tidak rasional. "Jika diturutkan alasan tidak masuk akal ini, pastinya kita bakal mengadakan kelas di bilik persalinan apabila kelas tidak mencukupi," tambah Wee.

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Sekolah SK Seri Pristana heboh di media selepas laporan keluar murid bukan Muslim diarah makan di bilik mandi semasa waktu rehat pada bulan Ramadan. Gambar menunjukkan murid sedang makan di bilik mandi tersebar luas di Facebook. Timbalan Perdana Menteri, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin juga mengarahkan Kementerian Pendidikan menjalankan siasatan berhubung dakwaan itu dan memberi amaran tindakan akan diambil jika benar. Timbalan Ketua Dewan Ulama PAS, Datuk Dr Mahfodz Mohamed berkata walaupun orang Islam berpuasa di bulan Ramadan, adalah tidak wajarlah kalau diasingkan bukan Islam di tempat seperti bilik air kerana mereka pun akan hilang selera untuk makan. - 24 Julai, 2013.

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Video: https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=538196639562040&set=vb.467972739917764 &type=2&theater https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=551121524924540&set=vb.532509280119098 &type=2&theater

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This guy is a potential candidate for the HM post is Sri Pristana school.

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