Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister Muhyiddin Yassin (below) today ordered  the formation of a taskforce to investigate parents' allegations that a secondary school principal in Kulai, Johor had openly made racial slurs against her pupils.

NONE"We want to get the facts right. Now, emotions are still running high so whatever next course of action that we take, we have to be fair," he said.

He added that there have been a lot of contradicting statements about what had truly transpired when she was alleged to have asked the "Chinese students to go back to China", and likened the Hindu prayer bracelets to a dog leash.

"There are a lot of different claims about what she had said, and what she had meant. And both parties also made reports," he said, referring to the police reports lodged by the student, as well as the headmistress' own statements.

He added that the teacher has apparently apologised and gone on leave since.

Muhyiddin, also deputy prime minister, also said that any action to be taken will have come after a full and thorough investigation which may cross several agencies.

"If there really is a disciplinary case against her, then we will also have to involve the Public Service Department because she is a senior government officer. There are steps to follow.

"She has been asked to go on leave. And since there are also police reports made against her, let the police also do their own investigations," he said at a press conference after chairing the
cabinet committee on human capital development meeting in Putrajaya this morning.

The taskforce will also be led by the ministry's deputy secretary-general in charge of operations Rosli Mohamed.

'Non-Malays are only passengers'

NONEIt was claimed in police reports lodged by  the parents of several student from secondary school in Kulai, Johor that she had uttered those remarks during the launch of the school's National Day celebration.

She had also allegedly gave an example of owning a Proton Saga and then letting 'Munusamy' and 'Chong' in as passengers.

"Munusamy and Chong were only passengers. They cannot claim any right to the car. This is the same as Malaysia in which the non-Malay students are passengers," alleged a 16-year-old student in his police report on what she had said.

A total of 17 police reports have been lodged so far.

However, education director-general Alimuddin Mohd Dom had earlier said that the matter has been settled.

"There is no change, the issue was only a misunderstanding and the problem has been solved between the principal and students," he was reported to have said in a news portal.

'Investigate the Lim-khutbah claims'

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said the authorities must probe claims that the Penang Chief Minister Lim Guan Eng's name was used to replace the Yang di-Pertuan Agong's during a Friday Islamic sermon in Penang last week.

NONE"All I read were from the media reports. So I'm not sure if these claims are accurate or not... But it has a big implication. So it is only fair to investigate if there is any truth to it. If there is,
action has to be taken," he said.

"Maybe the police or the Islamic Religious Department can check the veracity of the claims," he said.

It was Penang Umno chief and Defence Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi who claimed that the name-switching had occured in several mosques at Tasek Gelugor, Permatang Pauh and Jelutong.

He had told Bernama that no police report had been made so far but there was "sufficient evidence" pertaining to the matter.

Both Lim and Abdul Malik Abul Kassim, the state exco in charge of religious affairs, have denied Zahid’s claim.

Muhyiddin was also close mouthed when asked to comment further on the current war of words between Umno and MCA.

azlan"There is no need to say more. It's already Ramadan, no need to make enemies with anyone," he said.

The quarrel flared up after the MCA-organised Chinese Economic Congress last weekend, which saw a 13-point resolution passed by the 500 participants for a more level-playing field for non-Malays in the business sector.

Many Umno leaders had been up in arms over the matter, but at the same time, MCA president Chua Soi Lek had stood his ground, showing no signs of backing down.