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The two teachers in Penang who were involved in the controversy surrounding a Form Five student who allegedly "liked" a pro-Israel page on Facebook are not being let off the hook yet, despite apologising to the student's family.
They have been asked to report to the Penang education department next week and explain themselves.
The teachers on Friday apologised to the student's family for making the incident public on Facebook and openly condemning the boy.
Education department director Osman Hussain, however, said that was not the end of it.
"They will have to give me an explanation each for their actions, and to state reasons why they should not be transferred out to another school.
"If a teacher fails to follow the SOP (standard operating procedures) in solving a problem, he or she can be transferred out," he told The Malaysian Insider today.
The first teacher posted about her student liking the “I Love Israel” page on her own Facebook page, which soon attracted other Facebook users to condemn and threaten the boy online.
The second teacher posted a comment that the 17-year-old should be boycotted for supporting Israel.
Osman confirmed that both teachers apologised to the boy and his parents yesterday during a meeting held at the school in Taman Tasek Mutiara, Simpang Ampat, on mainland Penang.
"The apology was just one way of resolving this. The two teachers still have to see me next week and give me their explanations."
He said both teachers violated the civil service general order, which states that civil servants are not allowed to make public statements or talk to the media about their work without authorisation.
He said making a statement about their work, or in this case their student, openly on a social network site is considered a violation of the general order.
"What they did is considered wrong and with that, the department can already take disciplinary action against them. But we are still using our discretion here.
"If this goes into their records permanently, their career advancement chances can be jeopardised," he said.
He said it is important that the incident concerning the teachers be dealt with seriously, as he feared that it could also affect unity.
"We must make sure our teachers understand that they are not to discuss or circulate comments about their work and their students publicly, no matter how good or bad their students are. If they have something to say, do it in school.
"We want this to be a lesson and an example to other teachers so something like this will not happen again... If teachers want to use Facebook, then they should refrain from posting about work and student-related matters."
The teenager learned that he had received threats, including one that suggested he should be burned, after his teacher posted on her Facebook about his alleged “like”.
He lodged a police report about it, saying he never “liked” the pro-Israel Facebook page and did not know what had happened.
After word of what he allegedly did on Facebook got around, the boy was afraid to return to school.
When he did, he found himself shunned by some of his schoolmates and teachers for a few days.
The teen is being investigated for sedition, while those who threatened him on Facebook are probed for criminal intimidation. – August 16, 2014.
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