your say 'The number two most powerful man in Malaysia trying to say that he has no control over those 'racist' principals who are Grade 52 and above?'

Muhyiddin: 'Racist' principal outside my jurisdiction

Malaysiasakit: Don't be silly, Muhyiddin Yassin. We know the difference between not wanting to do anything and not able to do anything. With your I-am-first-Malay syndrome, we are well aware it is the former rather than the latter.

Your racial posturing is clear and proves that it is people like you who ensures that Perkasa can continue to wreak havoc in our otherwise peaceful country. Your lack of maturity and leadership is appalling and you will go down the annals as Malaysia's worst ever DPM.

Keanjin: Is the deputy prime minister cum education minister, the number two most powerful man in Malaysia, trying to say that he has no control over those 'racist' principals who are Grade 52 and above? What excuse is he giving? Meaning that the principals who are Grade 52 can say whatever they like and no action can be taken by the education minister?

P Dev Anand Pillai: I don't think that the DPM would have said this if the principal had been a ethnic Chinese or Indian who spoke bad about the Malay students under their charge. If the racist principal had been a Chinese or Indian, even the Education director-general would have used his influence to transfer the person out, demote him or make life hell for him until he resigns voluntarily.

So it is not a question of jurisdiction, it is more of a question of maintaining and preserving the ketuanan colonialism so that the superior race is not questioned by the inferiors over some indiscretions which they may make from time to time in the course of their work.

Anonymous: To say that as education minister he cannot make any decision because the racist principals are emplaced in a certain pay grade is pure bunkum. It automatically bestows upon current and future racists in the higher grades of the teaching profession a mantle of untouchability.

Muhyiddin is merely wishing the problem will go away and the DG (director-general) of PSD (Public Service Department) will ensure it will take light years to punish the racists as the PSD is, in his own words, "mulling over what decision to take". Perhaps, they have to refer the matter to Perkasa, their mentor?

Ong Guan Sin: What a load of nonsense from the education minister. I am ashamed to be a Johorean myself because of him. Do you, Muhyiddin, think Malaysians believe your blatant lie? You should at least state your stand on the issue. Don't evade it with a lie like that.

Gen2: A Melayu proverb for you, DPM: Mau seribu daya, tak mau seribu dalih . It means if he is earnest about suppressing racism in the schools, he would have gone to the extreme to punish this headmaster. But since he does not want to punish, he will find a million excuses not to do so.

Ericlcc: Really? The DPM has no jurisdiction! Since when does politicians/ministers have no power over civil servants? It's almost unheard of. Most ministers, if offended, will turn ballistic and will transfer the officer (regardless of grade) within 24 hours.

However and strangely, this DPM wasn't offended at all by the principal's statement, so he did the sane thing and went to sleep ignoring it. Also from the DPM's perspective, it's a good move as he was probably more concern with offending Pekasa.

Philip Chong: So are all those with pay grade 48 and higher above the law?

Pemerhati: The problem is created by Biro Tatanegara (BTN) which instils into the civil servants that all Malaysians are not equal citizens of the country.

They propagate the vicious and ridiculous ideology that the locally-born ethnic Chinese and Indians, whose ancestors may have been here for several generations, should be discriminated and treated as second-class citizens and they should for ever be grateful to a set of people defined as Malays, who agreed to grant citizenship to their ancestors under a social contract (the contract is fiction invented by some Umnoputras like Dr Mahathir Mohamad).

After decades of brain washing, we probably have a large number of people in the public service whose thinking is not very different from that of the Nazis or the KKK in US. The two racist headmasters are probably just the tip of the iceberg. To remedy the situation, BTN has to be immediately closed down and all the officers have to be re-brainwashed with a genuine 1Malaysia ideology of equal citizenship for all.

Rolls-Royce: Where is KJ John? He has so often written about government and processes. I think it is most opportune now for him to write about promotion and disciplinary procedures in the public service.

He must highlight how over the years, the functions, jurisdictions and power of the Public Service Commission and Education Service Commission have been subverted and eroded by Public Service Department (PSD). The various commissions are provided for under the federal constitution to ensure impartiality and independence of public service.

This is unlike the PSD, which is just another government department under JPM (Prime Minister's Department) which has never hesitated to toe the line of the government blindly. How dare the DPM say the disciplinary case is now out of his hand?

Singa Pura Pura: Muhyiddin is just being silly and recalcitrant. All it takes is for the deputy prime minister and/or the education minister to issue a written warning to the headmasters concerned - in language appropriate and sufficiently strong to indicate to them and to the general public - that their utterances were both unlawful and in bad faith and must not be repeated again.

And, of course, have Utusan Malaysia publish that letter.

 

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