I read with interest the news (since a few days ago) in the NST (14 June 2005) about seven-year-old Nor Ida Shamsul Bakri who finally made it to school (in Standard One), five months after the commencement of the 2005 school session. In an aptly Malaysian style she was escorted to the SK Sungai Dua by members of the State UMNO Public Complaint Bureau at 7.20 am. Nor Ida failed to go to school at the beginning of the year, like others her age, as did not have a birth certificate (BC). She is under the custody of her 67-year-old wheelchair-bound grandmother.
This is the best part of the news report: State UMNO Public Complaints Bureau Chief THANKED the state education department for ALLOWING the girl to be enrolled in school.
I stared in disbelief at this statement. What the ..? Am I missing something here ..?
Aduh, come on Malaysians we should stop this kind of apathy in our society. Many questions come to mind, which in a way is a reflection of how we think and operate, and to think that we have the intention to BRAND Malaysia!! With all due respect, there is a lot of housekeeping to be done. So ..
- Why did Nor Ida not have a birth certificate to start with? - Granted that it is the responsibility of the parents to register the birth, but that system can now be improved by implementing a registration system that operate from the hospital. At least even if the birth occur at home, the midwife can facilitate as part of the JD that follow every birth.
- School registration is done in advance!! - The registration process for new students (Standard One) is normally done well in advance of the actual year of entry. The missing birth certificate could have been detected and attended to much earlier.
- Why wait for 5 months? - Even if the BC was not available, was she just sent home .. and wait for what? It would not take 5 months to register for a birth certificate, would it?
- Thanks to the State Education Department? - Holy Ravioli, what is this?? The state can NOT allow the girl from going to school, and we have to thank them for allowing Nor Ida to go to school. I am lost for words!! Look, if it weren't for the need for kids and the like to go to school, those guys would not have a job ..
We need to get a new mindset to attending to this sort of episode - you have no birth certificate, so you can't go to school .. that's it? Of course it is not your problem, but must we wait to such time that we are in that position? At home, we teach our children to be responsive. If we ask for the newspaper, ' I don't know where' is NOT an acceptable answer!! If we ask for it - LOOK for it!! If we ask our children for the prayer times, ' I don't know' is NOT an acceptable answer - look for it in the Takwin and let us know - now they write on the white board in the kitchen the daily prayer times. If we ask what the maid has cooked up for dinner, 'I don't know' is NOT an answer - move your butt and go to the kitchen to find out and let us know. If it is not enough I will go out and get some.
There is no such things as saying 'I don't know' and forget about it because the problem will not go away!! Aiyaa, tak tau lah ...
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