All it took was Prime Minister Dr Mahathir Mohamads advice, not even a demand or directive, to lay the racial streaming in schools issue to rest. And any attempt to seek justice suffered a premature death.

Even Deputy Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawis earlier advice for the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) and its secretary-general N Siva Subramaniam to apologise had fallen on deaf ears.

But when Mahathir spoke last week, the NUTP lost all its bravado and big talk, and apologised unashamedly to all those who were hurt by our claims.

Mahathir had also blamed parents and certain parties for opposing the Vision School idea which he said was to unite the ethnic groups. The idea is to bring national and national-type Tamil and Chinese schools under one roof while maintaining separate administrations.

But in the present circumstances, the misgivings over Vision School may well be legitimate.

Following Sivas apology which was splashed across the frontpages of Saturdays newspapers, threats of legal action and police intervention suddenly fizzled out.

Inspector-General of Police Norian Mai was quoted as saying that all action will be dropped if the police reports are withdrawn.

Damage done

But the damage is done. Siva and NUTP president Tengku Habsah Tengku Petera had had their statement recorded for five hours, plus questioning. All documents pertaining to the segregation claims are with the police now.

What the government, overzealous politicians and ambitious teachers set out to do  threaten and discredit the NUTP and its leadership  was achieved with the full co-operation of the media.

But something may have been lost in the 10 days since Education Minister Musa Mohamad denied any deliberate racial segregation in schools on March 21  the trust of parents, guardians and teachers in our so-called progressive education system.

It was shocking how an attempt to seek justice over a possible violation of every Malaysian childs basic right was swiftly and skillfully neutralised under threats of the Printing Presses and Publications Act 1984 and the Sedition Act 1948.

Talk about efficiency.

Even more disturbing was the force of sensational reporting which, thanks to the print media in particular, helped bury the issue almost instantly, sealing the fate of children from the minority communities forever.

Major government cover-up

What was dished out for public consumption was not even remotely an attempt to seek the truth in the claims of segregation in our schools but more of aiding and abetting with what is turning out to be a major government cover-up.

And all this in the name of social unity and national security.

Lest we forget too soon, the Independent Committee on Segregation in Schools did find racial streaming in schools, albeit justified as not deliberate.

News coverage of the issue was more of a measured approach in presenting the reality of the situation according to bureaucrats tunes, and sadly, reporters knew the song well.

Most unfortunate of all are the victimised children who will never know or understand why they are not in the best class despite excellent academic performance.

Here, the main print media deserve full credit for a splendid job done in diverting serious attention from the real issue of racial streaming which exists in our primary and secondary schools.

Manipulating, outrageous

The issue went off tangent. Reporters turned into bloodhounds seeking juicy bits of meat by manipulating ministers, politicians and ambitious principals into saying the outrageous, even at the risk of sounding silly and incoherent.

This brings us back to the original question  were the complaints baseless?

Going by what the print media have been dishing out since Musas announcement, that seems to be the case.

True to their political masters, media headlines screamed that the claims were baseless and proclaimed that there was no ground for the complaints, therefore implying that the complainants had lied or worst still, had ill-intentions.

However, the somewhat abrupt official end to the issue has left more questions in its wake than answers.

More importantly, the victims of racial streaming are still stuck in the second best classes despite ranking top five among their peers.

Segregation in various forms

So, why isnt anyone bothered to demand for the full report on segregation in school? Didnt the 20-page report summary show that segregation did exist, albeit in different forms and in varying degrees?

Didnt Musa tell reporters that the report had found no deliberate attempt to stream students along racial lines? In fact, he was acknowledging and justifying racial streaming in the same breath.

Dont the parents of these affected children, as Malaysian citizens, have a right to know whats in it? Where is the public accountability and transparency? Why so much secrecy surrounding an issue so basic and important to all of us?

Perhaps the strong rumour that committee members were split in their views has everything to do with it.

Well never know now, would we, unless the full report is released.

In fact, even the committee members have refused to comment, prompting an assumption of a gag order by the ministry.

Unbelievable

As for the NUTP, Siva and its working committee, they have let down so many parents, teachers and children. They have served no one except to protect their own interests.

The speed with which the union reversed its stand and retreated, like a wounded dog with its tail between the legs at the sound of its masters voice, is nothing short of unbelievable.

Parents, teachers and concerned citizens who rooted for NUTPs Siva would probably feel cheated now, especially after heaping praises on the union and Siva for raising the matter in public.

Whatever happened to Sivas planned meeting with Abdullah after the Ketari by-election to explain the facts and figures relating to claims of racial streaming in schools?

On Sunday, Mingguan Malaysia quoted Abdullah saying that the meeting was no longer necessary as the matter is considered settled and need not be prolonged by discussing other related issues.

He felt there was no need to continue because the committee had made its findings and the NUTP had heeded the PMs advice and apologised.

Govt mouthpiece

Based on this alone, the NUTP and its leadership are mere government mouthpiece. They have forgotten their main role as guardians of the profession they represent, which includes their clients  the students.

Siva should try telling the parents of the affected students that he did what he had to do for the sake of national unity, and not for personal gain.

Given the circumstances, the decent thing for him to do is to step down gracefully and accept responsibility for failing to effect change by any means.

To the Education Ministry, overzealous politicians and ambitious NUTP members, the matter may be closed. But to the frustrated parents and genuine teachers, it is far from over  they are the ones who have to live with the bitter reality of inequality in our education system, and that their children and future generations have to pay for the folly of present bureaucrats.

They have to resign to the fact that despite raising their grievances to the right authorities through the proper channel, the system has failed them big time.

Most of us grew up within this very same system. Some of us would have experienced different types of racial streaming firsthand. We would have either chosen to ignore it or grudgingly accepted the rationale behind such national policies.

What about the bright young minds seeking answers from their helpless parents? If these students were our own children, what would we do next? Resign to the Malaysian reality, I guess.

CLAUDIA THEOPHILUS is a malaysiakini journalist.