Confiscation of student’s crucifix necklace uncalled for

KOTA KINABALU - The Education Department and the Education Ministry have been urged to explain whether there is restriction on students to wear religious symbols to school such as the crucifix which is worn by individuals as a necklace around their neck.

Angkatan Perubahan Sabah president Datuk Seri Panglima Wilfred M Bumburing, who made the call yesterday, said if such ruling are in place, then it should be reviewed and/or nullified.

“If there is no such ruling, then the authorities should provide the necessary guidelines to the school to follow so that certain restrictions that tend to be deemed as religious discrimination can be avoided,” he said when commenting on the confiscation of a cross/crucifix necklace of a student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan in Taman Seri Muda Sekysen 25, Shah Alam.

“On the June 18, 2015 during my trip to KL, a Sabahan friend, Jolis bin Beid, who is now residing in KL, met me and related to me an incident on the confiscation of a cross/crucifix necklace belonging to his son, Julian Jolis, who is studying at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan, Taman Seri Muda Sekysen 25 Shah Alam.

“The teacher concerned, whose name is Chandra, is a disciplinary teacher of the school. It is apparent that the boy was psychologically traumatized by the incident as he had been wearing the necklace/crucifix for the last two years,” said Bumburing.

He said the boy was told by the teacher that he had violated the directive of the school.

“Jolis sought my advice and I told him that this act by the teacher is serious and is a gross infringement of the basic rights to freedom of religious practice as enshrined in the Malaysia constitution and advised him to make a police report which he did on June 18, 2015.

“Jolis told me in a subsequent communication that on June 19, a team of five people came to the school to meet up with Jolis requesting that the matter be closed and settled internally which Jolis, being alone there, obliged. However even if the matter had been closed the implication is wide ranging in view of the recent incident of protest against the cross sign in Petaling Jaya and the several seditious attacks on Christianity in the social media.

“The question that the school, the Ministry of Education and the federal government, as a whole, needed to answer is whether there is a standing directive by the government to bar non-Muslim students wearing religious symbol to school. If there is, since when was this directive enforced? If there is such directive, does the government realize that it is a gross violation of the constitution?

“If on the other hand, there is no such directive then the people want to know what action will the government take on the disciplinary teacher,” he added.

Bumburing said a delegate from the department came to meet Jolis to request for an amicable solution. However, this is not the comprehensive solution to the matter. There is no guarantee that this incident will not occur in the future in the same school or anywhere in the country.

He said the government owes the rakyat a clear cut policy pronouncement on this very important and highly sensitive issue. The government cannot continue the practice of deafening silence while religious bigots are running wild in pursuing their hate campaign in the country.

“If the government continues to sweep problems like this under the carpet then they cannot blame the people for thinking that the government is condoning these activities. Therefore, the government must act decisively and fast before it is too late,” he said.
Bumburing added it is the duty of the government to provide conducive learning environment for every Malaysian children regardless of race and religion.