Posts Tagged ‘discrimination’

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Book on plight of Tamil schools launched

February 9th, 2009
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There were emails flying around on the book written by M.Varatharajoo. He launched the book recently. I wonder if the contents are not so true, as some quarters claim that Tamil schools are doing well and are well taken care off. Perhaps those quarters can sue the author?

ALL PRIMARY school pupils should learn their mother tongue first before they move on to their secondary school education, Kota Raja MP Dr Siti Mariah Mahmud said.

“Learning your mother tongue is a basic right of every citizen.

“Most Indians and Chinese in Malaysia have always emphasised the importance of learning one’s mother tongue hence the mushrooming of many vernacular schools throughout the country,” Siti Mariah said after launching a book by Tamil writer M. Varatharajoo at the MBSA Hall in Taman Sri Muda, Shah Alam, recently.

For the community: Varatharajoo with his book.

Varatharajoo’s book entitled Vanjikappadum Malaysia Tamil Kalvi Poraadum Makkal is based on the problems faced by the Tamil primary schools in the country.

Siti Mariah said the book showed the frustration of the author on the condition of Tamil schools in the country and the people who had abused their power forsaking the well-being of the children and the Indian community.

“The author spent five years doing research on Tamil schools throughout Negri Sembilan, Johor and Perak.

“I hope someone would sponsor this book to be published in Malay, Chinese and English languages so it can reach out to all,” Siti Mariah said.

Sri Muda assemblyman Shuhaimi Shafiei, who was present at the launch, said the Indian community had been suffering in silence for years with regard to Tamil schools.

Thanks for your support: Varatharajoo (centre) giving a copy of his book to Shuhaimi (right) while Siti looks on.

In the book, Varatharajoo talks about the first Tamil school which was the Methodist Tamil School in Penang in 1903.

He points out that there were 999 Tamil schools in 1957 and the number has now dwindled to 523 with 150 of these schools having fewer than 50 pupils.

“There are also alleged cases of headmasters taking money allocated for poor pupils.

“At the end of last year, there were 105,618 pupils in 523 Tamil schools in the country, with most of them studying in buildings that are in deplorable condition,’’ Varatharajoo, who is an author of five books, said.

He said Tamil schools were faced with various problems such as termite infestation, lack of funds for chairs and tables and some even not having enough classrooms.

The 304-page-book is priced at RM25 a copy.

Those who want to get a copy can write to PO Box No 7424, 40670 Shah Alam, Selangor, or email at varatharajoo@gmail.com

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Deja Vu?

February 6th, 2009
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Read this:

The principal of a secondary school here is in trouble for an alleged religious slur against his students.

More than 20 parents of the school’s students gathered outside the district education office here to demand an apology yesterday.

They claimed the principal had used the derogatory words thrice during an assembly on Sunday.

One of the parents, Y. Baskaran, said the principal should set a good example by fostering unity among students.

“The principal’s action is an insult to the community. She should have refrained from using such words. I hope no one in responsible positions like her uses the words in future,” he said.

Several parents had also lodged a police report the day after the incident.

Baskaran said narrow-minded civil servants such as the principal were obstructing the government’s efforts to promote racial harmony in the country.

Baskaran, who represented the parents, handed a memorandum to district education officer Abu Bakar Md Ali.

Social worker S. Neelamegam, who was present at the gathering, said disciplinary action should be meted out to the principal to serve as a lesson to other civil servants.

Abu Bakar said he would refer the matter to the state Education Department.

And then, this incident in Kuala Langat.

Don’t be surprised if the HM gets promoted and transfered to a Cluster school! 🙂

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Uthaya not provided treatment for fractured toe

February 6th, 2009
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After getting a court order to obtain medical treatment, look at what HINDRAF leader and ISA detainee Uthaya found out:

Surendran told Malaysiakini that the doctor who examined Uthayakumar informed him that his swollen left foot was due to a fracture in his small toe.

I guess fractured toe will need a plaster or at least bandaged to minimise movement. A proper rest and it will heal within weeks.

The doctor also did not provide more treatment, says the lawyer for Uthaya:

Moreover, Surendran added that the doctor also denied Uthayakumar any medication for the pain.

“He (Uthayakumar) also asked to be admitted because of a previous heart ailment, but the doctor dismissed the request saying that the beds in hospital were all occupied,” complained Surendran. [valid reason, but they could have also referred to another hospital?]

…  According to Surendran, the doctor who treated Uthayakumar, had jotted down the medical notes in a “police book”.

“She also refused to admit him although he (Uthayakumar) has a diabetic condition,” said the lawyer, adding that Uthayakumar had insisted on seeing an orthopaedic specialist but this was denied.

Meanwhile, Surendran also complained that the police had blindfolded Uthayakumar when taking him to the hospital and since there were stairs, his injured toe kept colliding with the stairs.

He also claimed that the police officer who had accompanied him kept taunting his client.

Following this, the family of Uthaya lodged a police report against HKL and the doctor:

ISA detainee P Uthayakumar’s family has lodged a police report calling for immediate action against Kuala Lumpur Hospital and the doctor who conducted Uthayakumar’s medical check-up on Feb 3.

MCPX

Uthayakumar’s fiancée S Indradevi today filed the report at the Brickfields police station claiming that when Uthayakumar was taken to the hospital for treatment on his foot, Dr Nurul Aida who had examined him merely said he had a fractured toe and discharged him.

“(She) refused to admit him even though he was a long-time diabetic, had fever, his toe was blacken and his left leg was swollen,” stated Indradevi in her report.

“I want an immediate investigation into the conduct of the hospital and the doctor involved as well as the abuse by police officers.

“No medication was given by the doctor and no treatment was given for the fractured bone,” she said.

Indradevi who visited Uthayakumar at the Kamunting detention centre yesterday said she was shocked when Uthayakumar recounted the abuses he went through.

Furthermore, she said that she feared for his safety at the detention centre as the police were “wilfully negligent and abusive”.

However, Uthayakumar who had filed a separate six-page report at the Kamunting police station also complained that the doctor was negligent when handling his case.

“I had related and the said doctor had recorded my complaint that I have been a diabetic for about 14 years, my swollen left leg and the darkening last toe as well as the discolouration of the other adjoining toes and my hypokenetic heart condition,” said Uthayakumar’s report.

“… (And I) also wanted to be treated and consulted by a cardiologist and whether I should start taking aspirin tablets,” he said.

Uthayakumar added that he wanted to be referred to the Gleneagles Medical Centre in Kuala Lumpur for “an independent medical treatment and for blood and urine test to be carried out especially to rule out a diabetic gangrene and any kidney malfunction”.

“Despite the above, he said the doctor had refused to admit me at the Kuala Lumpur Hospital ward even at least until the swelling on my leg subsided.

“I now fear for my personal safety and health and in the future I will refuse to to return to police remand centre to facilitate my court appearance or to any place,” he said in the report.

Uthayakumar stressed that he would “only be prepared to stay at another prison or detention centre when escorted and controlled by the prison authorities” and not the police officers.

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Now only want to have second cabinet committee meeting?

February 6th, 2009
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Guess what, the first meeting of the Cabinet Committee on Indian community development was held back in July last year. After that it was supposed to held in September. Strangely, there was no news about the committee meeting anywhere. And now, Star reports Samy Vellu as saying that the second meeting will be held in 23rd February. Let’s see the article:

Issues affecting the Indian community, including equity participation, are likely [LIKELY??? Then what the point of having the committee???] to be discussed at the second meeting of the Cabinet Committee for the Development of Indians on Feb 23, said MIC president Datuk Seri S. Samy Vellu.

He said the committee, chaired by Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak, would discuss the MIC’s proposals, including the setting-up of a mechanism to increase Indians’ equity participation from the current 1.2% to 3% in 2020.

… The MIC had suggested that a mechanism be established within the government-owned Permodalan Nasional Bhd to assist poor Indians to buy shares through 50% grants and 50% loans from the Government [So, will be it finalised in the 2nd meeting or pushed to next meeting?].

Samy Vellu said several decisions were taken at the first Cabinet Committee meeting last July 1 including streamlining the procedure for bringing in Hindu, Sikh and other priests from India [which took how long implemented?], agreeing to a policy of converting all partially-aided Tamil schools to fully-aided schools [note the words – “agreeing” to a “policy”] and increasing the number of Public Service Department scholarships for Indians studying in foreign universities to 163 students [its well documented that this happened before the meeting after MIC leader went to plead with the PSD].

Other decisions include enabling those who scored 9As and above in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination to receive scholarships to study in local universities [this is for all students, not Indians only – says MCA!], recognising the MIC-run Asian Institute of Medicine, Science and Technology University as among the institutes where scholarship students could enrol and agreeing to set up a special task force under the Home Ministry to deal with the 30,000 Indians born in Malaysia who are still without documents [hopefully the task force will present how many cases it has solved and the problems faced].

He said the Government had also approved RM80mil over the last 18 months to redevelop 50 Tamil schools which were in a dilapidated state.

And if you noticed, Samy said the RM80 millions for schools were to “REDEVELOP” Tamil schools. Can he specify how much of the funds is for “repair” works and how much is for constructing “new” buildings? There’s a big difference between the words being used. For example, in SJKT Vallambrosa, the money given was for “repairs” and not for adding new buildings. So, how to solve the problem of overcrowding in the school?

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Coach Sathianathan sacked for telling the truth

February 2nd, 2009
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Can you believe this? Coach is sacked for telling the truth? For being brave?  I wonder why the FAM did not sack itself – starting from the very top itself.  They’ve been in power for decades and find it easy to blame everyone else except themselves. How convenient. How many chances do they need? Why are we forced to accept sub-standard management? Year after year we only get excuses and crap from FAM. Spending money on forums, seminars, workshops, etc – but end results same only. No wonder we are graded “D” by AFC on management. Why not we just get some of the league management team from other countries and pay them to run FAM and the whole football structure? At least we can blame the foreigners if things still fail!

I remember seeing angry Sathianathan on TV making the famous “M-League is not football” comment. Practically every expert who had done research/consultation have provided probable solutions. We have had foreign coaches, foreign players, different rules for practically every season of the football league etc. But we have had the same FAM leaders all this time. And our football team never did change for the better.

It doesn’t take a genius to realise that everything from the grassroot to the top must be revamped. Acts, rules and procedure must be reinvented. Players choosen without fear or favour. Scientific methods incorporated. Leagues to be started from pre-school itself – under 7 all the way till under-23. So many things can be learnt from practically every country who is about us in the footbal standing. That’s about 150 countries!

Year after  year we tend to hear the same problems – salary and EPF not paid, foreign players taking legal action, national team losing here and there, changes of coaches in state teams, players not fit, lack of funds and sponsorship, changes in league rules and regulation, stadium fees unpaid, matches postponed, etc. All this are pointing to failures in FAM itself – lack of willpower, enforcement and proper long-term strategy. Being weak and probably having some self-serving agenda.

Now the coach is being made scapegoat. Pity the guy. He could only work with the stuff he had. With only 3 fit players, we must be holding majlis kesyukuran for being trashed only 5-0.

If it was up to me, I’ll call the state of football in Malaysia as a criminal act. And the criminals are in FAM and state FAs.

FAM need to be man enough to take in the chin. Not be cowards. You can sack coaches. But you can’t sack the public who tells you “M-League is not football”!

The Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) today decided to terminate the contracts of national head coach B. Sathianathan and national team manager Datuk Soh Chin Aun.

FAM deputy president Datuk Redzuan Tan Sri Sheikh Ahmad said the termination of Sathianathan and Chin Aun’s contracts was to pave the way for new faces to head the national football team.

“The FAM executive committee meeting chaired by FAM president Sultan Ahmad Shah were unanimous in their decision to terminate Sathianathan and Chin Aun’s services. Sathianathan will be given a month’s notice while Chin Aun’s termination takes effect immediately,” Redzuan told reporters at Wisma FAM after a three-hour meeting here today.

Redzuan however, did not reveal the actual reasons for the termination of the duo’s contracts but football critics feel the 0-5 defeat to UAE in the Asian Cup qualifiers last Wednesday and Sathianathan’s comment about the M-League could have weighed heavily against him.

“The post of the new head coach will be discussed soon by the management committee for the national team headed by Sultan Ahmad Shah,” he said.

Redzuan added that FAM had identified a list of local coaches to replace Sathianathan who had guided the national Under-23 squad to win the Merdeka Cup in 2007 before being appointed head coach of the senior team in September 2007.

As for the post of team manager, Redzuan said Datuk Capt. Gulzar Mohamad, one of the four FAM vice presidents, would replace Chin Aun who was actually a stand in manager for FAM deputy president Khairy Jamaluddin Abu Bakar.

“Khairy was initially appointed team manager but since he could not fully commit himself, he had sought Chin Aun’s assistance,” he said.

He added that the committee also decided in today’s meeting that seven states and clubs that still owed players and coaches RM620,000 in arrears as wages, must settle the outstanding amount by Dec 31 or face drastic action.

“If they failed to settle the arrears, FAM will take drastic action, including barring them from competing in the M-League next season,” he said.

FAM has also picked a seven-member delegation to meet Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob on Wednesday to discuss the direction and future of Malaysian football, he said.

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