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KUCHING: A senior assistant of a primary school here who allegedly caned a 10-year-old boy for bringing non-halal food to the school got a roasting from angry Sarawakians.
Politicians – Barisan Nasional as well as the opposition – joined the ordinary people in condemning his act of “religious extremism” and want him punished.
The senior teacher of St Thomas Primary School allegedly caned the boy, Basil anak Beginda, for bringing fried rice with pork sausages to eat in school during recess.
Land Development Minister James Masing said Malaysians must respect freedom of religion as enshrined in the Federal Constitution.
“This demands tolerance and understanding of the different religions. But religious tolerance is a two-way traffic: you respect my religion, I respect yours,” he said.
He urged the authorities to immediately carry out an investigation, saying that caning students as a form of punishment or disciplinary action was wrong.
“Bringing non-halal food to school is not something serious, especially in public schools,” he said.
Masing, who is Parti Rakyat Sarawak president, said that he sympathised with the boy.
'This doesn't make sense'
The publicity chief of Sarawak United People’s Party, Alfred Yap, disagreed with the caning of the boy, especially in a mission school.
“Each child has the right to eat what he wants to eat,” he said, adding that Sarawak does not need “religious extremists” in schools.
A former president of the Dayak Bidayuh National Association, Peter Minos, said: “The country has been trying very hard to forge national unity and inter-racial harmony since 1963 with the New Economic Policy and now under the 1Malaysia concept.
“So why add racial discord over what we eat? This doesn't make sense. If the caning of the boy is true, this cannot be tolerated. Sarawak is noted for tolerance in everything – in what and where we eat, in religion, in languages. So why spoil it?” he asked.
Minos, who is a senior Party Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu leader, added: “Keep Sarawak free of racial and religious prejudice. We love Sarawak as it is.
“If there are rules on what we can or cannot eat, these rules are not welcomed in Sarawak as they make life restrictive”.
'School a common place'
PKR deputy chairman, Wan Zainal Wan Sanusi, said the boy should not be caned as he is not a Muslim.
“He should be allowed to eat what he wants to eat,” he said.
His colleague, Dominique Ng, who is Padungan state assemblyman, said it was ridiculous to cane the boy in a mission school.
“Muslim parents can tell their children what is allowed or disallowed in their religion. But to cane a child who is a non-Muslim (over the type of food he eats) is taking things to the extreme,” he said.
Sarawak DAP secretary Chong Chieng Jen blamed the National Civics Bureau (Biro Tata Negara) for teaching civil servants to be racial.
Another DAP leader, Violet Yong, who is Pending state assemblywoman, called on the Education Ministry to immediately suspend the senior assistant as Sarawak does not need such people.
The president of Sarawak Teachers Union, William Ghani Bina, expressed regrets that such an incident had occurred in a mission school.
“This should not have happened because a school is a common place,” he said.
“If it happens in a religious house, then it is different,” he added.
He said that everyone should ensure that the 1Malaysia concept as espoused by Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak be practised.
Meanwhile, the mother of the boy, Angela Jabing, confirmed that she was summoned on Nov 4 by officers of the Ministry of Education, who wanted her to settle the case internally.
She also said the senior assistant was prepared to apologise to her and her son, but she was not happy about it.
“The ministry should come out with a clear-cut circular and not try to confuse students or parents with verbal instructions,” she said, adding that the senior teacher should be transferred.
The Minister in the Chief Minister’s Department, Fatimah Abdullah, urged everyone to look at the issue rationally and calmly.
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