He did not, however, provide any details on the supposed action taken against the two.
Pandikar then said there was no need for an emergency motion under Standing Orders 18(12) even though there have been no official announcements on the measures taken against the two school principals from Kulaijaya, Johor and Bukit Selayang, Kedah.
“I have looked through matter and it is of public interest. However, I have been informed that the education ministry and the Public Service Department (PSD) have already taken action against these two individuals... so there is no necessity for a motion.
“I hereby reject this motion,” said Pandikar.
Education Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin recently said he had no authority to take any action against the principals, and had allowed them to continue their duties.
Muhyiddin claimed that this was because disciplinary matters involving high-ranking civil servants came under the jurisdiction of the Public Service Department (PSD).
The deputy prime minister then said that only the PSD had the power to make a decision on the matter.
The emergency motion today was raised by DAP advisor Lim Kit Siang, who had demanded an explanation into the inaction against the two school principals.
“Two months have passed since the incidents have occurred... but no disciplinary actions have been taken against the two principals.
“This is a mockery towards this year’s national theme, ‘1 Malaysia menjana transformasi (driving transformation)’ and is a step back from the prime minister’s own declaration of zero tolerance towards racism,” said Lim.
Earlier this month, PSD director-general Datuk Seri Abu Bakar Abdullah told a press conference in Putrajaya that the department had already received a “six-inch thick” report from the education ministry on the matter.
“If there is a case against the principal, then the disciplinary committee will deliberate. A show-cause letter will be issued to the principal and she will be given the opportunity to defend herself,” he had reportedly said.
Siti Inshah Mansor, the principal of SMK Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra, had allegedly told students during an assembly that the Chinese could return the China and likened Hindus to “dogs” because of their prayer strings.
“Pelajar-pelajar Cina tidak diperlukan dan boleh balik ke China ataupun Sekolah Foon Yew. Bagi pelajar India, tali sembahyang yang diikat di pergelangan tangan dan leher pelajar nampak seakan anjing dan hanya anjing akan mengikat seperti itu,” she had allegedly said then.
Following the public uproar over her controversial statement, about 20 police reports were lodged against the principal.
In the Kedah case, Ungku Aznan Ungku Ismail, the school principal for SMK Bukit Selambau in Sungai Petani, caused a national outcry when he allegedly uttered racial slurs to his non-Malay students.
Ungku Aznan had allegedly publicly told several Chinese students to go back to China for “behaving disrespectfully” when they were seen having breakfast in the school canteen during the Ramadan fasting month.
He later escaped stern punishment when he was reassigned to an office in the district education office at Kuala Muda in Sungai Petani, shortly after the incident, drawing flak from many political leaders, including those from MCA.
The government has come under fire for failing to act quickly on the matter, despite their swift action in the case of controversial rapper Wee Meng Chee or “Namewee”, who had produced a video in response to the incident involving the principals.
The opposition has accused the government of “double-standards” in how it handled both matters, and have predicted that the Johor school principal would likely be let off with a mere slap on the wrist.
