Thursday, June 28, 2012

STEPHANIE TAN, BE WHO AND WHAT YOU WANT TO BE!

On 23 June, my posting: A TALIBAN SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN OUR MIDST? invited 1943 readers and twenty comments. Two commentators said that I was too harsh on Madame Principal. They have a right to express their opinions and as such I published their comments. However that does not mean that I agree with them. On the other hand, I rejected two commentators who came in as Felix Donohue and Leonardo da Vinci. When the former addressed me as Uncle Zorro I did not read any further and deleted his comments. WHY? Bro Felix Donohue, a revered teacher who taught me Literature in SXI and who later was Karen’s principal would never address me as Uncle Zorro. In the latter, the commentator failed in the first rudiments of writing. Your first sentence either tells the reader to continue or discontinue reading. I did the latter. Good try both of you. Learn some subtlety when you come in here to engage with adults. Whilst we give as much as we take, the only tool that we have is to moderate comments and I try as much as possible to allow for free flow of dissent except racism.

In KUALA LUMPUR, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said schools should not be overzealous and punish students if they attend social gatherings or events held outside the school compound.

While students should adhere to regulations if they are within the school compound, they should not be penalised if they attend social gatherings or events held outside.

He has instructed the Malacca Education Department to submit a report on the matter.

“I want to know the school’s basis and justification for imposing the punishment,” he said after chairing the MCA Youth central committee meeting at Wisma MCA.

Stephanie’s father Tan Eng Hock said the suspension was unwarranted and that the allegation was an embarrassment to his family.

I read this Malay Mail letter over brunch and thought that I it would be good closure to this topic and wish Stephanie will continue to be what she wants to be:

Nothing indecent about Stephanie’s short skirt

THURSDAY, JUNE 28, 2012

THE plight of Stephanie Tan Joo Sing who was suspended for wearing a short skirt at a school social function, outside her school premises in Malacca is worrying.

Just because one person views a certain form of dressing as inappropriate does not make it so. We can understand the school’s action if she had dressed indecently, but this doesn’t appear to be the case.

Her parents were not against her dressing and as her father said, he would not allow her to wear anything indecent.

A short skirt is worn by so many teenagers and adults in everyday life, even to work and those wearing one should not be penalised according to someone’s whims.

I find the action of the school rather harsh and not in line with the UNCRC (Convention for the Rights of Children).

The spirit of the convention, now more than 20 years old, supports the right of children to have freedom of expression and their views listened to.

The UNCRC recognises that children can make better decisions for their own lives as they mature, and that families and society must protect them even as we offer them the freedom to grow and be who they desire to be.

Stephanie Tan's school, in implementing its archaic rule, has chosen to overlook the personhood of this keen and socially motivated young lady.

Not many teenagers get involved in serving their community as Stephanie Tan has. Instead of applauding her involvement, they have chosen to traumatise her and impose their narrow views.

If these are our educators then there is little hope for our children.

I hope Stephanie knows that many of us grieve with her, at this time, for this injustice.

We hope she does not lose the desire to be who she wants to be and follows her dreams to fulfilment.

DATUK DR AMAR SINGH
SENIOR CONSULTANT COMMUNITY
PAEDIATRICIAN, IPOH

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

prude thinks she goes to heaven;rest goes to hell if they dont be a prude.

Anonymous said...

so true, uncle zorro. agree with you 110%....

maj (rtd) haji muhammad bin abdullah @ tan wah guan said...

if skirts (or length of hair...or shape of mouth ... or slint of eyes or curved nose or whatever physical characteristics one's endowed by d God Almighty b THE measure of a person's IQ (what is stored in their brains) ....try visualizing these two guys called IA ( then , now & always) or TDM (now or into the future) hahahhahahhahahah....a good weekend laff 4 a fun weekend....thx bro. PS Stephanie...U rockkkkkkkk

wandererAUS said...

A TALIBAN SCHOOL PRINCIPAL IN OUR MIDST?...as a very senior citizen, I tend to agree with Zorro, this twisted principal went overboard with her self-righteous discipline. It boiled down to a simple question,
"Is having sex a dirty act?"...perhaps, madame Chong was deprived of this pleasure and thus, acting like a frustrated old maid...it was plain jealousy to the younger generation.

Anonymous said...

Why spend so much effort dwelling on this mini skirt issue?

Zorro failed to report on students in TAR Kolej made to wear red to sambut Ah Jib Kor with banner 'We love Ah Jib Kor'.

Zed Zaidi said...

Each time the haslam & son's movie on mat rempit hit the cinema, the incidents of mat rempit went up.

The corelation is there and so obvious.

The 'Bohsia: Jalan kembali' movie should have been banned. Haslam & son made money while the kapcai rempit create menace on the road to emulate the movie stunts.

Finas should be held accoutable!

zorro said...

Anon501pm...it is my time that I am wasting lah....why do you waste your time reading this. Go wear a yellow Tee that I talked about in my FB.

Dislike Disobedient Student said...

Of course she can be what she want and do what she want...provided she go live in the jungle and dont be part of civil society.
Dont agree to represent your school then Stephanie if you dont want to follow "code of conduct"!

Anonymous said...

I think we had missed the point in conformity and adhering to rules and regulation. If she were not told before hand of the dress code or if the school did not impose any dress code for their school activities outing, then the principal would have been harsh. But since she was told of the dress code and she is aware of the dress code rules the school imposed, her very act of wearing the mini skirt is an act of challenging the school rules.

It is fair to say that the students have rights. But they must also obey the rules and regulations. Are we going to say that now in Malaysia, it is alright for the students to wear what they like to school? The same for the police officer and all??

If you look into the photo, it is very clear her dress code is very much differs with the others. If because she is a top student and one who contribute her work to community, she has a free pass to do what she thinks is right without any regards to the rules and regulations. So she now has an exception to all rules?