Malaysia : School board apologises to teacher who was asked to remove tudung

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School board apologises to teacher who was asked to remove tudung

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Posted By: brianl1957 brianl1957 Send Email Send Email
Fri Jan 17, 2014 11:28 pm |
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http://www.themalaymailonline.com/ma...logises-to-te\
acher-who-was-asked-stop-wearing-tudung

School board apologises to teacher who was asked to remove tudung
JANUARY 17, 2014

KOTA TINGGI, Jan 17 - The management board of Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan Cina
(SJKC) Nan Ya, today made a public apology to the Muslim convert teacher who
was told to take off her tudung (headscarf) if she wanted to continue
teaching at the school.

Its chairman, Phang Ah Ngang, 72, together with the school's principal,
Chiew Swee Tuan, made the apology to the 25-year-old teacher at the Dewan
Terbuka Kampung Johor Lama here.

It was done in the presence of Kota Tinggi police chief Supt Rahmat Othman,
head of Mukim Johor Lama Mohd Nazri Kasmin and Kota Tinggi Education deputy
officer Mohamad Fadil Ishak.

The apology was seen to have solved the issue that had caused Muslim anger
in the country.

Phang, in a statement, said he sincerely apologised to the teacher and the
Muslim community in Kampung Teluk Sengat in particular, and in Malaysia in
general.

"I hope the issue is now solved and we can continue living in harmony in the
concept of 1Malaysia," said Phang who later shook hand with the teacher as a
gesture of apology.

Meanwhile, Chiew said as the school's principal, he understood the
sensitivity of the issue and that that it was religiously compulsory for a
Muslim woman to wear a headscarf.

"As a school principal, I promise to have more respect for Islam and our
Muslim teachers and students, regardless of their race.

"As a public servant, I also promise, without doubt, to adhere to all
regulations stated in the General Orders and to manage school affairs in a
more proper and careful manners.

"I apologise for all emotional distress caused by our misunderstandings and
unreasonable arguments," he said.

The teacher concerned, on the other hand, said she accepted the public
apology and prepared to put it all behind and to focus on her career.

"I accepted the apology with an open heart and I do hope that the issue will
not be further sensationalised as it is clearly a sensitive issue," she
said.

Meanwhile, Rahmat said police had completed the investigation on the case
and would submit their report to the deputy public prosecution's office for
further action.

"We hope the case is solved now, but since the complainant has yet to
withdraw the report, the case is still ongoing," he said, adding that the
case was investigated under Section 186 of the Penal Code for obstructing
public servant in discharge of public functions. - Bernama
____

Apologies accepted, tudung fiasco wraps up
2:52PM Jan 17, 2014
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/252047
____

http://www.malaysia-chronicle.com/in...&id=215262:by\
-deliberately-fanning-tudung-issue-irresponsible-umno-is-deepening-malays-seige-\
mentality&Itemid=2#axzz2qdc2eHql

By deliberately fanning 'tudung' issue, IRRESPONSIBLE UMNO is deepening
Malays' seige mentality
Written by Teo Nie Ching Friday, 17 January 2014

According to reported news, a 25-year-old Muslim school teacher in SJKC Nan
Ya in Kota Tinggi was told to take off her "tudung" to continue teaching
there by one of the school directors.

Everyone has the right to practise his or her respective faiths. If the news
is true, we urge the said Director to apologize to the Muslim teacher
without any delay.

However, we urge UMNO Youth not to over exaggerate the issue as if there are
more and more non-Muslims insulting Muslims in our country.

Firstly, if the report is true, the said Director should be responsible for
his words and come forward to apologise.

UMNO Youth Education Bureau Chairman, Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen should not
suggest the Education Ministry to sack the school headmistress. Why should a
headmaster be held responsible and blamed for a Director's statement?

What 'more and more frequent'? Isn't it the other way around!

Secondly, UMNO Youth should not overstate the incident as part of "insults
against Islam" which have become "more and more frequent".

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6iRcFrLBTm...dZrrD8/s1600/\
blogger-image-187611749.jpg

As a matter of fact, there is no such "more and more frequent" incidents
that should be labeled as "insult against Islam". Mohd Rafiq quoted Father
Lawrence Andrew as an example.

However, what Father Lawrence Andrew has done should not be labeled as an
"insult to Islam" because there are many fellow Muslims shared his views,
such as respected Islamic scholar and former Perlis Mufti Datuk Dr Asri
Zainul Abidin, Sisters In Islam (SIS), Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir
(daughter of the former Prime Minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohammed), Siti
Kasim and Nik Elin Nik Rashid (facebook event creators of "IN THE NAME OF
ALLAH" who support the solidarity gathering at the Our Lady of Lourdes
Church in Klang, Selangor) and many others.

The evidence from the rest of the Muslim world

Other than that, a United Arab Emirates daily - The National and Endy M
Bayuni, Senior Editor of Jakarta Post also criticized the "Allah" ban.

In the eye of Mohd Rafiq, are all these Muslims abovenamed insulting Islam
too?

Religious harmony is a vital foundation of a country, responsible leaders
should encourage more dialogues and education in order to instill respect
and tolerance among different beliefs, rather than adding fuel to the fire
and stirring up the controversy.
----------------------------------------------------------
Teo Nie Ching is the MP for Kulai
____

http://english.astroawani.com/news/s...-apologise-um\
no-youth-education-bureau-28398

"Tudung" incident: 24 hours to apologise - UMNO Youth Education Bureau
Arfa Yunus| Updated: January 17, 2014

KUALA LUMPUR: "We give 24 hours for the management of SJKC Nan Ya to
apologise to all Muslims in the country".

This was stressed by UMNO Youth Education Bureau Chairman, Rafiq
Naizamohideen following the incident where a Chinese Muslim teacher from
Sekolah Jenis Kebangsaan (SJKC) Nan Ya, Teluk Sengat, Johor was forced to
remove her head scarf or "tudung".

Pang Ah Ngang, who is in her 60s, was said to have threatened and urged the
teacher to remove her "tudung".

"The teacher filed a police report at the Kota Tinggi Police District
Headquarters. Following the report, Pang Ah Ngang was later called to
provide a statement.

"Although a report was made and the District Education Office had transfered
the teacher to a safer school, we are disappointed as this can tarnish the
dignity of Islam," said Rafiq.

Rafiq hoped that the Education Ministry will provide a quick response on the
issue.

"As a Muslim we feel challenged because recently, the religion has been
questioned a lot.Thus, the UMNO Youth Education Bureau is urging the
Education Ministry to respond to this incident. If Pang Ah Ngang does not
apologise, we want the Education Ministry, be it Datuk Seri Idris Jusuh or
Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin to take stern action and this includes dismissing
those involved in the incident," said Rafiq.

During a press conference at the Ampang Division UMNO ofiice today, Rafiq
also urged the schools headmaster, Chiew Swee Tuan to take appropriate
action on those involved.

"If the headmaster is not able to solve the issue, than the person is not
eligible to hold the position and should be dismissed. The headmaster had
not taken any action and failed to understand the Islamic sensitivity in
Malaysia," added Rafiq.

He also added that the people in Kampung Teluk Sengat have started to
demonstrate against the actions taken by Pang by hanging banners and
posters.

Story first published on: January 16, 2014 18:48 (MYT)
____

http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/252018

Umno Youth, so it's okay to punch a minister?
10:39AM Jan 17, 2014

YOURSAY 'Don't try to turn it into a racist issue to save Najib's face.'

Apology demanded over tudung threat
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/251922

Flamescanner: If the allegation that a 25-year-old Muslim school teacher in
SJKC Nan Ya in Kota Tinggi was told to take off her "tudung" (headscarf) to
continue teaching there is true, then an honest apology to the teacher
concerned is in order.

At the same time, I would like to ask Umno Youth exco and bureau chairperson
Mohd Rafiq Naizamohideen what his thoughts are regarding the seizure of more
than 300 copies of the Bible by Selangor Islamic Religious Department
(Jais)?

Does he consider that an insult or does he consider that his right? You see,
this is where the proof of the pudding lies. Can you apply the same rules
and principles of respect for another person's belief or is it simply you
championing your cause and trampling on someone else's view.

By the way, Mohd Rafiq, Catholic weekly The Herald's editor Lawrence Andrew
was probed for sedition recently, which in itself is wrong, but what do you
mean that no action has been taken?
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/251332
What would you consider to be a justifiable action? I'd like to hear a
reasoned argument.

Onyourtoes: If indeed such a threat was issued to the Muslim teacher, I
agree that an apology is called for, but only to the teacher concerned (not
to all Muslims as demanded by Umno Youth).

But I have an inkling that this episode was orchestrated. The silence from
the Education Ministry was just to prolong the controversy, regardless the
threat was true or otherwise.

If we have done wrong, just apologise. There is no need to demand counter
apologies from 'well-established' racists. They are not our teachers.

Sali Tambap: Make no mistake about it. The headmistress who stopped her
Muslim teacher to wear her tudung is wrong.

As it is also wrong for the Muslim teacher in Sarawak a while back (I think
it was reported in Malaysiakini) who caned a Christian Iban pupil that
brought his purported non-halal lunch to school provided for by her mother.
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/148066
It was also wrong for the Muslim teacher who punished the non-Muslim Orang
Asli pupil who failed to recite an Islamic prayer.
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/212654
Mohd Rafiq is right about the headmistress insulting Islam but so did the
two Muslim teachers mentioned were using Islam to insult other religions.
Well, we do not want both.

Failure to respect each other as individual and belief is totally uncalled
for. In other word, what Mohd Rafiq wants is respect for Islam. And it is
his right to ask for that.

But let him understands this - respect is a two-way traffic. You cannot
demand respect nor can you force it on people to respect you. It has to be
earned.

By their gentle nature Malaysians for the most part, regardless of their
backgrounds, do respect each other. The action of Jais (Selangor Islamic
Religious Department) towards the Christian's holy books and house of
worship is not respect.

Let us get rid of Malaysians who do not respect each other, irrespective
whether he/she a Muslim or non-Muslim. Such person has no place in the
Malaysian nation.

Heavenly King: Ordering one woman to remove her tudung is an insult? What
about banning non-Muslims on the use of the word 'Allah', burning churches,
and protesting in front of churches?

Malaya: If you think this is serious enough to warrant a sack, how about
making non-Muslims eating in a changing room? Isn't that serious too?
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/236473
Umno Youth, you are in no position to make this demand. Where are you during
the changing room row? A school is a school so don't bring in politics and
religion. Please let the ministry settle this issue by themselves.

Anonymous #66797900: Whilst we all should respect one another's faith, why
must Father Lawrence be punished? He was also defending his faith.

Umno Youth is desperate as no one supports them as they have proven
themselves to be hooligans. Apparently, punching a minister is okay.
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/251672
It is time for non-Muslims and rational Muslims to stand firm in the face of
constant threats and demand an apology. Most Muslims in this country are
against extremists. It is the political desperadoes who are out to cause
rift.

Vgeorgemy: Umno has no issues when one of its members slap a non-Malay
minister publicly and a mufti calls for mass murder. It seems that Umno has
lost its legitimacy with common man issues.
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/250880
Kangkung: After the Jais raid on the Bible Society of Malaysia (BSM), this
new set of Umno goons are trying hard to divert attention from Prime
Minister Najib Abdul Razak's 'kangkung' remark to this tudung issue.
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/250725
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/251697

So many Muslim staff and students are teaching and studying in vernacular
schools so Umno, don't try to turn it into a racist issue to save Najib's
face.

Well Thats Fantastic: When politics enters religion and religion enters
politics, they do no justice to each other whatsoever.

In fact, we can often see a politician with a hollow or weak argument very
quickly try to become more godly than God himself.

Fair&Just: No minorities of ordinary intelligence will be foolish and stupid
enough to threaten a Muslim or Malay unless with the scheming or backing of
those with ulterior motives as the minorities have for decades being used to
the ways of the supremacist bigots and biding their time for retribution and
just dessert if it ever come but hopefully do.

Enuf: The only reason why SJKC is around is because of the divide-and-rule
tactic. And the majority of Chinese fall for it by sending their kids to an
SJKC. So the Chinese are still amateur in playing politics.

Continue-The-March: Hello Enuf, I beg to differ. SJKC would have disappeared
if not because of Umno's screwed-up education policy.

Up to the 70s, the enrollment of SJKC was going down because Chinese started
to see more value in English education until former premier Mahathir Mohamad
converted all English schools into Malay schools which slowly change into
mono-culture Islamic-inclined schools.

From then on, more than 90 percent of Chinese parents send their kids to
SJKC, including Indian and Malays parents.

Cryodude: What about the head mistress who told the Chinese and Indians to
go back to China and India?

Did she make an apology? I guess she did in the end. Was she sacked from her
post because she failed to understand the sensitivities of other races? I
guess not.
http://beta.malaysiakini.com/news/231998

In this case, the person concerned should also apologise to the teacher and
that should be the end of it. Let all parties stop spilling poison in
schools. What are we teaching our kids?

Sali Tambap: This is perhaps the rare time that I agree with the call from
Umno Youth education bureau.


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