Malaysia: Indians demand apology in racial slur case

Kuala Lumpur An incident in Malaysia highlights that racism is rampant and thriving across the globe.

Only when cases like the secondary school teacher in Malaysia hurling racial slurs at her Indian students are highlighted, do institutions give knee-jerk reactions.

The school that employed the allegedly racist teacher claims that she has been transferred.

But the local Indian community refuses to rest their case and has demanded a public apology.

Two students of a school, SMK Telok Panglima Garang in Banting of Selangor, lodged police reports against their history teacher last Friday.

According to the daily The Star, the students alleged that the lady teacher had made derogatory remarks about Indian students and called them unflattering names.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator T. Murugiah, who visited the school, said the teacher was being transferred.

"She also said that she did not expect things to become so serious and has agreed to be transferred to another school," added Murugiah.

The senator was accompanied by officers from the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Department's Public Complaints Bureau.

According to Murugiah, recommendations would also be made to the education ministry to institute disciplinary action against her.

He said the issue was now considered closed.

But the antagonized Indian community members, affected parents and children demand a public apology.

"She must make a public apology as she insulted all Indians. She should be transferred to a desk job and not allowed to teach anymore," insisted the group's spokesperson S. Muthamil Selvan.

Secretary of the Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs Gunaraj George added that his organization was preparing a memorandum to be presented to Prime Minister's office.

Indians, especially Tamils, form eight per cent of Malaysia's multi-ethnic population of 28 million. Chinese form about 26 per cent and ethnic Malay are about 60 per cent. The rest are other indigenous groups.

Minorities, especially Indians, have frequently, complained of discrimination in education and jobs where local Malaysian population is favoured.