Pusat KOMAS is appalled by the recent press statement issued by the Ministry of Education on the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination workshop organised by SMK Infant Jesus Convent, Johor Bahru, Johor for Muslim students only. The ministry’s swift response to the incident felt like an afterthought aimed to cover up the blunder made by the school.
The Education Minister, Fadhlina Binti Sidek should make a stand and address the issue of racism and racial discrimination in schools. The Minister’s decision to leave the issue to the district office is disappointing and it is akin to shrugging her responsibilities to promote unity at the school level. This behaviour is in contrast to the Malaysia Madani concept – an inclusive Malaysia for all Malaysians regardless of race and religion, promoted by the Prime Minister, Anwar Ibrahim.
The Ministry’s response of the workshops being “conducted in a series to avoid disruption to candidates who are preparing to celebrate Chinese New Year” did not match the explanation made by the school’s headmaster as it was shared on social media. Based on the WhatsApp trail shared by a disgruntled parent, the workshop was held just for Muslim students under the guise of it only covering Islamic Studies. It was only discovered later that other SPM subjects, such as Chemistry and Additional Mathematics, were also covered in the workshop. When confronted, the headmaster claimed that, “the achievement of Malay students is very worrying. As many as 40 students failed and will not qualify for an SPM certificate if there is no effort to help them”. The message further stated that the headmaster did not want the failure of Malay students to bring down the school’s achievements in the upcoming SPM exams. There was also no mention of a second workshop for non-Malay students being held, or that the workshop would be split into two sessions.
The Ministry’s attempt at damage control by claiming that another session of the workshop will be organised is disingenuous in nature. The very fact that the SPM workshop was held secretly and strictly only for the Malays under the guise of “Islamic studies” is enough to show that there are elements of racism and racial discrimination. Prioritising students based on their ethnicity while disregarding the rest is a clear act of preferential treatment and racial discrimination. Equal opportunities should be afforded to all regardless of their race and descent. The school could have organised the workshop on a later date where it does not clash with the Chinese New Year celebrations. Even if the workshop is required to be conducted immediately, all parents should be given the freedom to choose to allow their child to attend the workshop even though it may clash with the celebrations.
Pusat KOMAS echoes the call of the Sultan of Johor that “Nobody must be left out of any public programme because of their race or religion. If it is true that there was racial segregation, then action must be taken against the organisers. The same can also be said if it is found that these allegations are proven false and spread by irresponsible parties”. Additionally, we demand for better ownership and accountability from the Minister of Education and the Ministry of Education. Stern and swift actions should be taken against the perpetrators of racism and racial discrimination especially in the school setting. Let this be a timely reminder that racism should not be swept under the carpet anymore!
Statement released by Pusat KOMAS
25 January 2023