MIRI: Educationists who create disunity and racial tensions should be slapped with “exemplary action” to ensure that similar incidents would not recur in future.Sarawak Teachers’ Union (STU) president William Ghani Bina said firm action need to be taken because educationists were supposed to unite the people of different races and not to hurl derogatory remarks which could spark social unrest.

“Exemplary action must be taken against educationists who are proven guilty of stirring racial sensitivities and disunity,” he said.

Ghani said this when asked by thesundaypost for his comments concerning a school principal in Johor who allegedly uttered derogatory remarks in front of her students last week.

The principal allegedly told the Chinese students that they were not needed in the country and could return to China, and that the prayer strings Indian students tied around their necks and wrists were similar to dog leashes.

According to Bernama’s report yesterday, Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said though the offender had apologised and gone on leave, these were interim measures.

Disciplinary action would only be taken after the ministry received a comprehensive report from the committee, he was quoted as saying.

“I hope this (incident) is not true, otherwise the committee which has been set up by the Education Ministry should study the case carefully to get to the truth of it,” Ghani said.

Ghani said remarks of this nature could spark anger and hatred in the Chinese and Indian communities.

“There are 340,000 teachers in Malaysia teaching in 10,000 schools. So, this case does not represent the teaching profession.

“I believe this is more to an individual problem or case,” opined Ghani, who is also the chairman of the Joint Committee of Teachers Union of Sabah and Sarawak.

He added that this was an isolated case which was not common in the country, thus he hoped it would not recur in the future.

“This is why an exemplary action is necessary to alert all in the teaching profession.”

Source: The Borneo Post