A form six student in Butterworth has lodged a police report against a teacher who allegedly uttered a racist remark against him.

Tan Sik Meng, 16, also accused the disciplinary teacher, identified only as ‘Sritharan' of assaulting him by squeezing his neck and shoving him against a wall.

He claimed that the teacher threw a punch at him, but missed and hit the wall instead and then pulled his hair, ears, tie and shirt until the buttons came off.

The SMK Seberang Jaya student said the teacher had also challenged him to a fist fight and that he refused.

"When he spoke to me, he pushed my head with his hand, then he said I ate pork and that I had pig brains. He also said I ate beef and that my face was like a buffalo's," Tan added.

Knock on door comes to the rescue

He alleged that the teacher then used his body to shove him against the wall, saying, "You studied in a Chinese primary and secondary school, why not go back to China?"

"I replied by saying that there are 13 witnesses who saw how he had treated me on Wednesday," he added.

Tan said he felt a sense of relief when another student knocked on the door to meet the teacher, giving him the opportunity to get out.

He then went to a public telephone booth to call his mother, but when he returned to class later to seek help from his monitor, he was told that several students had been threatened by the teacher and warned not to help him in any way.

The problem between Tan and his teacher arose when he was  allegedly caught chattering during the school assembly.

He was taken to the disciplinary teacher's room, which was then locked, with the curtains drawn.

Education Department brought in

NONE Today, Tan lodged a similar report with the State Education Department in Penang. He was accompanied by Komtar assemblyperson Ng Wei Aik ( right ), Seberang Perai municipal councillor Soon Lip Chee and his mother.

The department's Human Management and Development head Osman Hussain, who received the complaint, said he has yet to receive a report from the school concerned.

Osman said the district education officer would launch an investigation into the case once the department received the report.

If found guilty, action would be taken against the teacher, said Osman (below) , while the student would be referred to a counselling teacher.

NONE On whether the teacher would be suspended during the investigation, Osman said ‘no' as that would depend on recommendations from the district education officer.

He advised Tan to return to school despite his fear of being victimised by the teacher.

"Those who were allegedly threatened by the teacher can lodge a police report and we will look into the case.

"We have laws in this country and we cannot take action against the teacher without first investigating the matter," Osman told reporters at the State Education Department in Bukit Gambiar.

Meanwhile, Ng said the racist remarks uttered by the teacher were very serious as parents would be worried about sending their children to the school, fearing that they would be treated in a similar manner.

He urged the Education Department to take immediate disciplinary action against the teacher and prevent him from teaching at any school so that a similar situation would not be repeated.

"Please investigate this matter thoroughly and immediately. His comments have angered all Malaysians who care about this issue. It is also against Prime Minister Najib Razak's 1Malaysia concept," said Ng, who is also Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's political secretary.

"Let the action taken against this teacher be a lesson to all so that we will respect one another without the seeds of hatred sown by  irresponsible people," added the Penang DAP Socialist Youth secretary.