'Why still no action over Orang Asli slapping case?'

Puchong MP Gobind Singh Deo wants the education minister and the attorney-general to explain why no action has been taken against the teacher who slapped four Orang Asli children for not reciting the doa (Islamic prayer).

Such delays allow abuses to take place, Gobind said, such as the alleged attempts by teachers to pay the families of each student RM300 if they withdraw their police report.

"This is what happens when there is delay on part of the authorities in taking action. Investigations in this case would be not complicated.

"The fact that the Ministry of Education has also intervened and promised action should be further reason for action to be taken swiftly," Gobind said in a statement.

He added that failure to take action in this simple matter was "embarrassing" for the police and Education Ministry and exemplified why society's faith in the system is waning.

"The education minister and attorney-general must speak up and explain what action has been taken until now and if none, why has there been a delay?" he said.

Money offer spurned

SK Bihai Parent-Teacher Association deputy chairperson Arom Asir had told Malaysiakini that a group of teachers had approached the family of Hassan Achoi on Nov 7 with the RM300 offer.

The teachers sought to take the parents to the police station yesterday to withdraw the report, but the parents spurned the offer.

Earlier this month, Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong said that an internal investigation showed that the schoolchildren were slapped and that action against the errant teacher was under way.

According to Section 17 of the Aboriginal People's Act 1954, no Orang Asli child should be obliged to receive religious teachings without the prior consent of the parents.

Section 17(3) states that any person contravening this section faces a fine not exceeding RM500.

SK Bihai in Pos Bihai is an exclusively Orang Asli school in the interior of Gua Musang, close to the Kelantan-Perak border.