GEORGE TOWN: Penang’s Education Department has no plans to initiate action against a primary school here after it was revealed that 11 of its students were part of a global protest to raise awareness about climate change.
The department had just asked the school to submit a report for administrative purposes and not for any action to be meted out, said its deputy director Abdul Rashid Abdul Samad.
“There is no issue here. Essentially, the educators here are pleased to allow students to be exposed to the green movement, as it can help inculcate the need to conserve the environment and to recycle as well as to live a healthy life.”
A report had emerged quoting members of the Parent-Teacher Association of the school, who had feared that action would be taken against them for allowing the young children to be part of the protest.
The protest was organized by a loosely organised civil society called Klimate Utara Malaysia (Kaum) and Klima Utara Malaysia (Kamy), who were responsible for a protest last week held in conjunction with a series of global protests attended by the youth.
The brief protest was part of the Global Climate Strike, a movement initiated by Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg to raise awareness about climate change.
But in Penang, a Penang Island City councilor Vino Dini Chandragason was upset that the gathering had become an occasion to protest against the proposed Penang Transport Master Plan.
She had apparently expressed her grievances by accusing the organisers of exploiting the young to protest against the mega state transport project.
Her remarks have since gone viral on social media.
The issue has drawn responses from a varied of parties here including from state executive councilor Phee Boon Poh, who sent a message via social media that he hopes that there would not be any alleged retaliation against the school.
He said that Penang encourages the young to be part of the green movement to curb pollution and to raise awareness on the need to fight climate change.
State PKR vice-chairman, Jason Ong Khan Lee, said that there was no need to overreact as the freedom to assemble was part of the new Malaysia’s parameters.
“Unless the gathering was to sow hatred or with an agenda to cause discord, I think in the new Malaysia, we have to tolerate protests.”
Ong said that climate change affects everybody, not just Malaysians.
