KUALA LUMPUR – The Education Ministry will take appropriate action against a secondary school in Johor for setting conditions on co-curricular activities for Form 1 students, including opening sports slots to only one race.
Disappointed and shocked over the matter, Education Minister Datuk Mohd Radzi Md Jidin said the guides issued by the school go against the objectives of implementing sports programmes in learning institutions.
“Let our children play together regardless of who they are.
“We know that sports are an effective medium to strengthen unity. In sports, all members of the team will play to win.
“Obviously, it never crossed their minds (that) ‘I am from a different race, therefore…’ As such, sports are the vessels to foster the spirit of togetherness,” he said in a Facebook post today.
Earlier, a Twitter user questioned the move by a secondary school in Batu Pahat, Johor, and uploaded a picture of a letter containing a list of associations, clubs and sports, allegedly open to only one race.
The list, among others, states that the Chinese language club, basketball and table tennis are open to only Chinese students, while football, netball and sepak takraw are open to only Malays.
The school, SMK Dato’ Bentara Luar, has since issued an apology, saying the management had overlooked the matter. – Bernama, April 17, 2021
