Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said the transfers were a regular procedure, as part of a “rotation” system practised by Tamil-medium national-type schools in Penang.
He said seven transfers had taken place since the retirement of Chandrasekaran as headmaster of SJK(T) Rajaji in Air Hitam in Penang on Oct 2.
Kamalanathan said one of the transfers includes a promotion of a senior teacher to be headmistress of a school.
“These internal changes in the education service are a normal procedure taking place to improve the schools’ performance and also their academic staff.
“Hence, claims that the Mak Mandin school HM was transferred due to political issues is not true at all,” he said when contacted today.
Kamalanathan provided a list of transfers in Penang Tamil schools:
- Senior Teacher 1 of SMJK (T) Ramakrishna, Mageswary, to be HM of SJK (T) Batu Kawan.
- SJK (T) Batu Kawan HM Vanitha Mani to be transferred to SJK(T) Mayfield.
- SJK(T) Mayfield HM Sumathy to be transferred to SJK (T) Alma.
- SJK (T) Alma HM Megalai transferred to SJK(T) Changkat.
- SJK (T) Changkat HM Bhaskaran transferred to SJK(T) Mak Mandin.
- SJK (T) Mak Mandin HM Tamilselvi transferred to SJK (T) Perai.
- SJK(T) Perai HM Jacinta transferred to SJK(T) Rajaji.
Earlier, Penang Deputy Chief Minister II P Ramasamy had claimed the headmistress of SJK(T) Mak Mandin, Butterworth, V Tamilchelvi, was given a transfer notice a week after Lim’s visit to the school. She has been transferred as HM of SJK (T) Perai after being HM in Mak Mandin for about a year.
Lim was at the school to present a RM100,000 donation for the expansion of the school and another RM10,000 to the school’s kindergarten.
Lim’s appearance at a national-type school is a rare occurrence. He was denied entrance during a visit to a Chinese-medium school in Bukit Mertajam.
Lim was told to get written permission from Education Minister Mahdzir Khalid.
Lim then said Permatang Pauh Umno chief Mohd Zaidi Mohd Said was able to enter the Chinese school as he wished and accused the education authorities of practising double standards.
Headmistress goes on transfer after visit to Tamil school by Guan Eng