Don’t want Malay teachers?

Luo Han Zhou (translated name)

Nanyang Siang Pau, 18-02-2015

This year 13th January, a female Malay teacher from Mersing SJK (C) Pai Chee reported to the police to complain that she has been attacked by student’s parents. She also said that the local Chinese communities gave the reason that they don’t want Malay teachers to teach in Chinese primary schools to request her and two other Malay teachers to change school.

Concerning this complaint, Pai Chee’s board of directors have issued a statement to explain the origin of the issue. First of all, it stated that standard 6 students of this school didn’t fare well in Bahasa Malaysia (BM) in UPSR. Moreover, the three BM teachers don’t want to comply with the revolution ideology of the school. Hence, the principal is left with no choice but to request them to change school.

Little did one know that this female teacher would describe the principal and the local Chinese to be racists and are against Malay teachers. She has completely twisted the facts.

The Education Ministry has recently decided to assign these three Malay teachers to other school. As for where the principal would go, it will be decided by the state education department.

Now, let’s see how the Johor state education department would deal with the principal. If she is also assigned elsewhere, then this is similar to the blur ancient local magistrate who doesn’t judge right or wrong, doesn’t check the two sides of the story, proceed to cane both the plaintiff and defendant, and resolve the issue by chasing them out.

Genuinely defending the Chinese primary schools

Besides, this female teacher even used racism to create rumours out of this incident, saying that the Chinese don’t want Malay teachers to teach in the Chinese primary schools. This is a more serious issue. The Education Ministry needs to take action of this Malay teacher seriously to not let the rumours continue to spread and fall into the cunning trap of this racist.

In fact, the Chinese has never refused to have Malay teachers teaching in Chinese primary schools. The thing that the Chinese “don’t want” is teachers who don’t know Chinese holding executive positions in the Chinese primary schools. And they are opposing to teachers who don’t know Chinese to teach any Chinese subject. These teachers are not just limited to Malays. Even the Chinese teachers, if they don’t qualify for the Chinese subject requirements, the Chinese would also persist in opposing them teaching Chinese subjects in Chinese primary schools.

On the other hand, if the Malay teachers get a good Chinese result in SPM and major in Chinese in teacher training institute, if they are a qualified Chinese teacher, then the Chinese wouldn’t oppose them teaching Chinese subjects in Chinese primary schools.

This has always been the stance of the Chinese. This stand is to defend the “purity” of Chinese primary schools and to genuinely defend Chinese schools by maintaining Chinese primary schools.

This stand is originated from Chinese wanting all subjects, except for BM and English, to be taught in Chinese. Regardless of their race, as long as the Chinese teachers are qualified, the Chinese would accept them teaching in Chinese primary schools.

Yet racist who wants to cause chaos has created rumours that Chinese don’t want Malay teachers teaching in Chinese primary schools, equating the lack of Chinese qualification to Malay teachers. This action is intentionally provoking racial emotions. If the abovementioned female teacher uses this rumour to seek a release for losing her job, this is an action that makes things worse. The Education Ministry must punish this teacher seriously.

Education Ministry must hold the biggest responsibility

Let’s review and examine why would the racists create this rumour? At the root of this problem, the Education Ministry should hold the biggest responsibility.

Firstly, the Education Ministry didn’t implement the four-one policy and keep on assigning teachers that aren’t qualified for Chinese language to hold executive positions in Chinese primary schools. Chinese also have always been opposing this. Therefore, some people with agenda have twisted the fact of lacking of Chinese qualification into opposing Malay teachers.

Secondly, the Education Ministry has assigned many Malay teachers to teach in Chinese primary schools and instruct the principals to assign work to them. The principals have no choice but to let them teach the so-called “secondary” subjects such as sports, music, arts etc. But there is more and more this type of Malay teachers so the “secondary” subjects have been forced to increase too. Consequently, the Chinese cannot bear it any longer and express that they don’t want this type of teachers. They don’t want them because they don’t have the Chinese qualification, not because they are Malays. The Education Ministry and the Malay communities must understand this point, they mustn’t be misguided by the racists that have other agendas.