Hannah Yeoh |
| Another ridiculous circular by Education Ministry Posted: 06 Aug 2010 08:47 AM PDT The articles below are from Malaysiakini in relation to the circular issued by Education Ministry allowing politicians and unelected representatives from UMNO, MCA and MIC only to attend school events: Elected reps kept out of S'gor schools: A circular that allows specified BN leaders to attend events organised by Selangor schools but keeps out those from Pakatan Rakyat, has been criticised as an example of double standards.  The circular dated Feb 16, 2009 states that the education minister has appointed 57 leaders from Selangor Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan to represent him at these events in the state. Signed by the principal secretary to the minister, the circular was sent to the director of the Selangor Education Department. It also states that the BN representatives have each been issued a certificate of appointment, copies of which were attached to the circular with a full list of names and posts held in the respective political parties. When contacted, Hannah Yeoh, the DAP state assemblyperson for Subang Jaya said that - by implication - school authorities have to get the minister's permission to invite Pakatan representatives. "(When the schools ask for permission), it is never given," she claimed.  Yeoh had recently mentioned this in a tweet, in which she questioned the contents of the circular and said she had managed to obtain the list of 'approved' BN leaders. "I am not allowed to attend any function in the schools in my area. This is not right as it sends the message to the children that you have to receive whoever you are given. They cannot choose their own leaders," she said. She, however, said she was allowed to enter her alma mater - SMK Subang Utama - after the Parents-Teachers Association (PIBG) stepped in. "In my case, because the PIBG insisted, I was able to attend. So it shows that PIBG plays an important role," she added. 'Clearly unfair' policy DAP's Teratai state assemblyperson Jenice Lee confirmed the situation.  "Some schools had requested donations from me, but I was not allowed to go in and give a speech," she said. There was one occasion where I had to hand over the cheque outside the school compound." "I know this has happened to many other Pakatan leaders, not just me and Hannah. And this is clearly unfair." Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong has refused to comment on charges by elected representatives from Pakatan Rakyat that they are barred from functions held in schools in Selangor. "This is and old story... they dug out an old issue," Wee (left) said. "I have already answered and clarified in Parliament about this. I don't want to repeat it. If it is a new thing, I will answer it." The MCA leader was referring to an earlier incident last year in which, he said, the opposition had already brought up the issue and questioned him in Parliament. The deputy minister's answer then was that 57 leaders from Selangor Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan had been appointed by the Education Minister to represent him at official Education Ministry events at schools in the state. This, Wee had said in his answer then, did not mean that these were the only people who could visit schools. The issue was raised again yesterday in a tweet by Subang Jaya assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh, who questioned a February 2009 circular informing schools of the matter. Yeoh also released to the media the list of "approved politicians" that she had obtained. Signed by the principal secretary to the Education Minister, the circular was sent to the director of the Selangor Education Department. Requests to visit schools 'constantly turned down' It also states that all the BN representatives on the list have been issued with certificates of appointment, copies of which were attached to the circular with a full list of names and the posts they held in their political parties. Yeoh complained that this effectively meant that Pakatan elected representatives could not attend functions at schools in Selangor, and related her frustration at being constantly turned down when she made requests to visit schools in her constituency. DAP's Teratai state assemblyperson Jenice Lee agreed with her. "I know this has happened to many other Pakatan leaders, not just to me and Hannah. And this is clearly unfair," Lee had said yesterday. Read the reply from the Education Ministry: "At the time, the education minister was Hishammuddin Hussein, not Muhyiddin," said Muhyiddin's education ministry press secretary Hafiz Abdul Halim in a faxed statement today. According to the circular, only the 57 politicians from Umno, MCA, MIC and Gerakan are allowed into school compounds in Selangor to represent the education minister at functions. This effectively bars Pakatan elected representatives from the schools and they have slammed this as smacking of the Barisan Nasional government's double standards. Some even complained that their work as elected representatives, such as handing over donation cheques to the schools, had to be done outside the compounds. Subang Jaya state assemblyperson Hannah Yeoh had lamented even though Pakatan ruled Selangor, she could not have access to her alma mater SMK Subang Utama, except through the Parents-Teachers Association, because she was from the DAP. I have handed donations to 2 PIBGs of schools in USJ at the Town Hall meeting held for USJ 3 and 4 residents. Though the grant given came from the Selangor State Government, we were not allowed to present the cheques in these schools and had to do it outside of the schools. Compare this with the unelected MCA reps who can walk in and out of schools freely and launch events. Are we sending the right message to our children in schools?  |
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