Labuan teacher transferred, allegedly over cross dispute in school

Malaysiakini : A teacher from a Christian mission school in Labuan has been transferred following a dispute over the installation of crosses on the school premises.

However, the teacher was allegedly told it was due to an “abrupt reshuffle of senior teachers”. Avanus Sunduvan (not real name) is a close relative of the teacher in question and made a viral social media post earlier this week detailing the events that led to the teacher’s transfer.

“This issue started with the dispute over the placing of a cross in the missionary school.  “The suggestion from the priest to place this cross was expressed to one of the teachers and supported by parents who sponsored the purchase of the cross to be placed in the hall and every classroom door.

“After the cross was placed, a number of Muslim teachers in the school began to boycott by refusing to attend school meetings and assembly and fought hard for the cross to be taken down,” claimed Avanus.

When contacted, Avanus told Malaysiakini that the land where the school is built is owned by the Roman Catholic Church. They said that following the objections, the teacher was summarily issued a letter of transfer dated Oct 20, indicating the transfer would take effect on Oct 25.

However, following a number of meetings, the teacher will have to report at a later date. “It is seen here as an abuse of power by the superiors to arbitrarily transfer a teacher who has served for a long time and contributed towards the excellence of the school's students since 2016,” said Avanus.

Avanus told Malaysiakini that after the post went viral, there were two meetings held between the teacher in question and school authorities. “Now, we are told the teacher is being transferred because of a reshuffle of senior assistants.

"However, they acknowledged that because of the cross-related issue, it would create an impression that the transfer is linked, so they will postpone the date she has to report," said Avanus.

Petition to reinstate teacher

They added that the school has indicated that crosses have to be taken down now but may be put up again later, once a suitable place for them has been agreed upon. "The students want to start a petition so that the teacher will not be transferred,” said Avanus.

Vijay47 : Truly God works in mysterious ways! First, we had that terrible situation in Israel-Gaza-Palestine which led to the emergence of a certain hero from distant shores who wanted to show the world that he was sent to save Mankind or at least the Arab variety. He attended countless rallies “in solidarity” with Hamas and Gaza and even flitted all across the Middle East defending the Arab victims and snarling at all else.

Alas, nobody considered him worth even two-bits and he was not invited to participate in mediation efforts towards humanitarian efforts for Gaza. That noble role was given to Egypt and Qatar. At a mega-rally back home, he revealed that international forces had threatened him. Sadly, nobody seems to be buying this Arabian nights’ fable.

Then, a brainwave - let us have a Palestine Solidarity Week in schools! Would children be taught the finer art of stomping on the Israeli flag? Maybe, maybe not. But the Ministry of Education rushed to assure us that this special course was only to teach children “to be colour-blind when it comes to empathy, regardless of race, religion or social status”.

So they hold a Solidarity Week for Palestine! Right on cue, the placing of Christian crosses in a Labuan Island school is vehemently opposed. While reasons for this stand have not yet been revealed, one must assume they would include a propensity to easy confusion and offence to a particular religion.

Perhaps the virtue of “regardless of race, religion or social status” does not apply to island regions. And this is in faraway Labuan-Sabah. Just imagine how the Solidarity Week will be commemorated in more combustible “western” areas.

The madmen who arranged this celebration seem unconcerned with that slim margin between Jewish and Christian then next, non-Muslims, and with the Solidarity Week in schools being tantamount to a flame being placed next to a pile of cotton.

Nobody wants to admit that our schools are hotbeds of racial and religious extremism. Despite God working overtime in mysterious ways.

IndigoKiwi9570 : Isn't it a Christian mission school? Thn what's the issue in having cross placed?

Malaysiakini has contacted both the school and the Education Ministry's office for a response to these claims but has yet to receive a response.