Principal accused of telling students: 'Go back to India and China'

Another secondary school principal is in the news in Malaysia.

The principal of a Shah Alam school allegedly rebuked her noisy students by telling them to "balik India dan China" (go back to India and China).

The chairman of the Malaysian Chinese Association's Youth Education bureau, Mr Chong Sin Woon, said that if it was found that the principal was favouring one group over another, she is not fit for the profession and should also apologise to the affected students, liberal news portal Malaysian Insider reported.

The parents said the principal was furious that the students were making noise during her speech at the school assembly.

"'Balik India dan China' is not subtle in any way. Did the principal believe her slurs would go unnoticed?" he asked.

The controversy comes days after a headmaster of a secondary school in Sungai Buloh allegedly made non- Muslim students eat their lunch in a changing room which had a stinking toilet.

The photos of the students having lunch were uploaded, causing a storm online. The matter has since been resolved.

Mr Chong said such incidents keep occurring because the punishment for the culprits was not harsh enough.

Similar statements

"Few years ago, when a principal made similar statements with racial overtones, she was transferred to another position," Malaysian Insider quoted him as saying.

The Education Ministry said it will probe the latest allegation, Deputy Minister P Kamalanathan said.

In a text message to liberal news portal Malaysiakini, he said the matter had come to the ministry's attention and an immediate investigation would be initiated.

"We do not condone such behaviour... If the allegation is true, then action would be taken (against the principal)," he added.

Meanwhile, the headmaster of SK Seri Pristana in Sungai Buloh, Mr Mohamad Nasir Mohd Noor, said he is ready to return to work, The Star reported.

He denied that he was ordered to take a week's leave to calm the furore over the incident. He said he had taken leave voluntarily after allegedly receiving two death threats.

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