“The truth will set us free”, MGS board chairman says on police probe.
There was no recital of Christian prayer during an awards ceremony in the Methodist Girls School (MGS) in Penang, but only a general thanksgiving prayer, said a member of the parent-teacher association.
The source, who requested anonymity, said the awards ceremony is an annual affair in the school and such prayers were often recited during the event.
“During the ceremony every year, there will be prayers conducted for both Christians and Muslims (doa) to thank God but due to the haze, the ceremony was cut short and only a thanksgiving prayer was recited,” the source said.
“There was nothing malicious about the matter, and certainly no intention to propagate Christianity to anyone,” the source added.
The source felt compelled to clarify the matter after reading Deputy Chief Minister II cum Penang executive councillor on education P Ramasamy’s comments regarding the incident.
The source contacted Ramasamy and thanked the DAP leader for saying that the Education Ministry needs to investigate the incident thoroughly before “jumping to conclusions”.
Earlier, Ramasamy had condemned the Education Ministry’s “double standards” when it gave a stern warning to the school after a police report was lodged about the matter in Penang.
He said the ministry failed to act on a Muslim preacher who tried to propagate Islam in a school in Perlis although a police report had been lodged about the matter.
Yesterday, Education Ministry director-general Amin Senin said further disciplinary action is being considered against the school for contravening national education regulations.
Ramasamy said he has conducted a preliminary probe about the MGS incident and found that the source’s testimony was intact.
He is expecting to speak to the school’s leadership and the state education department to iron out the matter.
“The matter has been blown into disastrous proportions,” Ramasamy said to Malaysiakini.
“The police says they are investigating the matter, I hope they now probe and question the people who lodged a false report,” he added.
“This is a fake report about the school and those responsible must be hauled up for stern action,” Ramasamy stressed.
Meanwhile, the chairman of the school’s board of governors, Kee Phaik Cheen, said it would only comment once an ongoing police investigation is over.
“I hope you understand that there is an investigation going on and after it is complete, we will reveal to you the facts. We do not want to pre-empt the investigation.
“Once the investigation is over, the truth will set us free,” she told FMT.
On Friday, a 42-year-old businessman-cum-political activist lodged a report at the Dato Keramat police station claiming that MGS had recited Christian prayers before the national anthem was sung.
The man alleged that this took place at the school’s annual Student Excellence Awards ceremony at the neighbouring KDU Auditorium at 8am the same day.
In the police report sighted by FMT, the man claimed that he had received a tip-off from “few anonymous individuals” claiming that the school had banned any form of Muslim prayer recitals.
He said the school’s primary section has 347 Muslim pupils and 161 non-Muslim pupils, together with 24 Muslim teachers and 14 non-Muslim teachers.
“(By reciting Christian prayers), the school and its board of governors are simply trying to spread Christianity in the school’s function, which is against Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution,” he said.
The article deals with the restriction of propagation of other faiths to Muslims.
Earlier today, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department deputy director (prosecution and legal) Mior Farid Al Athrash said police had begun an investigation.
He said that following a report received on Friday, police had started an investigation under Section 505C of the Penal Code for intent to incite any class or community of persons to commit any offence against any other class or community of persons.
A police report was lodged on Saturday by a Muslim group alleging the school of trying to proselytise to Muslims.
Related report: Sept 30, Ramasamy: Double Standards in Warning School over Christian Prayer