15 January 2015 Press statement by MCA Youth National Chairman Senator Chong Sin Woon Shame on SMK Seri Mutiara, Cheras for depriving teenager of education just because she wore a traditional costume school uniform MCA Youth is outraged with harsh tone of warning issued by the school authorities of SMK Seri Mutiara, Cheras against a Form 3 Sarawak native student of Lun Bawang descent who wore a traditional Malay dress ie the baju kurung uniform. The disciplinary action will deprive this teenager of an education – a complete paradox as schools are supposed to be centers of learning and knowledge and educators are expected to ensure that students obtain an education, have continuous access to learning and not deny them so. The school is reported to have ordered the student to go home and allegedly even mocked her guardian uncle by “(suggesting) that if (he) needed money (to buy pinarfores), (he) should go to her previous school and get BR1M money to pay for her pinafore (The Malay Mail, 15 Jan., 15).” Can’t the school even comprehend the trauma the child and guardians are being placed unto? Tardy students will exploit this ruling to get kicked out of school SMK Seri Mutiara fails to realise how regressive their move is as students who want to “ponteng sekolah” (play truant from school)” or even get kicked out of mainstream education will now start to don the baju kurung which will thus qualify them to skip and miss classes as school authorities of SMK Seri Mutiara will be compelled to order their removal. Don’t classify education & uniforms along racial lines As the population composition Malaysia is multi-ethnic country, where citizens of all races take great pride is attiring themselves in the traditional costume of another race – a move which enhances inter-ethnic respect and appreciation, there is no reason or justification whatsoever for SMK Seri Mutiara to deliberately deprive a child of an education or belittle the financial status of her guardian uncle. Educators make themselves uneducated when they practise racial profiling and separate minor children into an us-vs-them situation based on ethnicity. There are female non-Malay school teachers and principals in other schools who dress in the traditional baju kurung too when reporting for work. Isn’t it a paradox if a non-Malay educator is allowed to don the baju kurung but non-Malay students are not? Moreover, MCA Youth wants to inquire if SMK Seri Mutiara, Cheras will prohibit non-Malay Muslim adolescents from attending classes or deny non-Malay parents entry if they were to dress in the baju kurung uniform and attire respectively. Solidarity As a sign of solidarity on how essential it is for minor children to obtain an education and never miss a day of classroom teaching, to have no interruption to their academic pursuit and therefore must be schooled, I urge all female school pupils in primary schools and female students in secondary schools to wear the baju kurung if they have already purchased one. Senator Chong Sin Woon MCA Youth National Chairman MCA Education Consultative Committee // End
Posted on: Thu, 15 Jan 2015 05:39:31 +0000
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