MTA demands explanation why students unable to compete

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The taekwondo officials (seated from left) Tuan and Toh and (standing from left) Wong, Leong and Pang.

SIBU: Malaysia Taekwondo Association (MTA) has sent a letter of demand to the State education director seeking an explanation as to why she had refused to issue letters of approval for the schools to release the students to take part in the 6th East Malaysia Zone National Taekwondo Championship held here from July 6 to 8.

Its secretary-general Eddy Tuan said the number of participants dropped from some 400 students to about 60 students after they failed to get the permit to take part.

He added that the action of the state education director also resulted in losses to the organiser as well as the parents involved.

“After much deliberation, we’ve decided to send the letter of demand. We are giving her 10 days to give us the reply or an official apology, failing which, we will consult our legal counsel for the next course of action,” he told a recent press conference here.

With him were Sarawak Taekwondo Federation (STF) president Dr Henry Toh, first vice president Pang Ming Siing, second vice president Michael Wong and deputy president-cum- event organiser Leong Khin Fuk.

According to Tuan, STF – an affiliate of MTA – had organised the championship on the first week of July.

“For the past five years when we organised the championship, we had never encountered any problem from the education department.

“Unfortunately, this year the state education director refused to give the approval letters to the schools to release the students to take part.

“As a result, none of the schools in the state, with the exception of some Chinese Independent Schools and private schools, dared to send any students to take part.

“Even the exponents from the Chinese independent schools and the private schools were sent by the schools’ parent-teacher associations,” he said.

Tuan revealed that STF, like in the previous years, immediately applied for the approval permit from the state education director when the championship was organised.

“However, we did not receive any reply from the director and this was despite us calling her and doing the constant follow-up.”

Tuan claimed that he was later told that the reason why the director refused to issue the approval letter was because STF did not follow the proper SOP when applying for the permits.

“That, to us, did not make sense as we had been doing the same thing for the past few years and there were never any grouses. What is the SOP she was referring to? We are never given any copy of the SOP.”

Tuan also said that they did receive a verbal agreement from the state education department on July 7 that their boss had instructed them to prepare the approval letters.

“But we waited until 6.30pm, yet there was no sign of the letter,” he claimed.

Without the approval letters, Tuan said none of the schools here dared to release their students to take part.

He said the unprecedented action of the director had greatly demoralised the exponents since many had trained very hard for the championship.

Many parents also approached him on July 8, he added, asking him about the status of the championship and were upset over the state education department’s decision not to issue the approval letters.

“Other states like Penang and Johor were sending their exponents here to take part and they never had any qualms with the education department,” he stated.

The Borneo Post attempted to contact the Education Ministry for comment yesterday but there was no response at press time.