Good move rejected by Federal Government

I read in the newspapers on Monday that the Penang state education department is stopping Penang Deputy Chief Minister II Dr P Ramasamy - who heads the present State Exco's education portfolio - from distributing free spectacles to 223 children in Tamil schools during school hours.

It looks like another petty move by the Federal Government to disallow elected representatives from non-Barisan parties in Pakatan-controlled states from discharging their duties to the people.

According to Ramasamy, there wasn't a political agenda involved. “This is a social activity for poor pupils and we felt that good programmes should continue."

The latest person to wade into this controversy was former Barisan state executive councillor Dr Toh Kin Woon who expressed disappointment at the attitude of the the Penang education department. Dr Toh retired from active politics when Parliament and the State Asemblies were dissolved in February for the General Elections.

"Why is it that it was okay for me to go to the schools when I was executive councillor but not for the executive councillor of a different party? It is also not fair that the education minister at the federal level can go to schools, but not the state executive councillor for education. I am disappointed with the attitude of the department. Although the programme was initiated by me, it was very kind of Ramasamy to continue it. He sees the social value in it.

"Many students did not even know they had vision problems. We conducted medical assessments camps in several areas, particularly where there are Tamil schools, and found as many as 100 to 200 children needing spectacles to correct their vision. We managed to get the state to intervene and pay for the spectacles."