Religious leaders condemn principal's rascist remarks
"The nation needs just and fair actions rather than just words."
A Johor secondary school principal's racist remarks against her non-Malay students have roused a storm of protest and among the public.
Her case is being investigated by the police and Education Ministry after over 50 parents and students lodged reports againt the principal.
During her speech at her school's Merdeka (National Day) celebration on Aug 12, the principal had allegedly described non-Malays as "penumpang" (passengers) in the country and told the Chinese students to study in a Chinese school or go back to China.
She was also alleged to have said the prayer strings Indian students tied around their necks and wrists were similar to dog leashes.
Joining the chorus of protests is the Malaysian Consultative Council of Christianity, Buddhism, Hinduism, Sikhism and Taoism (MCCBCHST) who immediately issued a statement following the media reports.
MCCBCHST says: "In the light of the latest, in an increasing line of provocative racist remarks, this time by a principal of a school in the state of Johor, MCCBCHST calls upon the authorities to take prompt and appropriate action to demonstrate that such dastardly acts and words perpetrated by government servants, regardless of their rank, is not and will not be tolerated in Malaysia.
The Johor school incident occurring as it did in the run-up to the coming National Day celebrations casts a sombre shadow over the nation's commitment to a multi-ethnic and multi-religious society where all citizens can be guaranteed a shared destiny in Malaysia as Malaysians based on peace and justice.
The time has passed whereby mere platitudes and words from the national leadership and enforcement authorities in themselves will be enough. The nation needs just and fair actions rather than just words.
MCCBCHST calls for its component religious communities and all other Malaysians, regardless of ethnic or religious affiliation, to join together to pray that the sitting government will take responsibility to take appropriate action to stop blatant racist acts and utterances.
At the same time, let all peaceloving, fair-minded Malaysians join together to raise an unignorable chorus of disapproval against racism in all its forms.
LET US STOP RACISM BEFORE RACISM STOPS OUR NATION!" |
