Arrogant. Toady. Pillock. Sycophant. Contemptuous. Dysfunctional. Self-serving. Spineless. Childish. Wannabe politician.
These were some of the choice words used by a few Malaysians, to describe Harry Tan, the secretary-general of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP), when they were shown a clip of his interview with Astro Awani.
In the interview of 5 May, he was asked about sexual harassment and abuse in schools, and whether the NUTP would order a probe to find out if sexual harassment and abuse were problemmatical in schools.
His response
First. He went on the defensive. (Note his arrogance and tone)
Shame on him!
He appears to be sceptical about the allegation made by 17-year-old Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, who last week said that her teacher had made a joke about rape, during class.
Who is Harry Tan trying to please? Mahiaddin Yassin? Or Radzi Jidin, the Minister of Education? Or all of the above.
He is not doing the teachers and students any favours. He should be taking care of their interests and concerns, instead of being arogant, insensitive and brown-nosing. He failed them. He is not worthy of his post.
He said, “How is it a widespread problem? Where are the statistics? Where is the data? Who are they talking about? How many schools are involved?
“We have 450,000 teachers in the country, we have 10,000 schools. How many schools are they talking about? Give me the facts.”
Silly fool! Harry Tan’s head is buried in the sand, that he appears not to know how Malaysian society functions.
Anyone who makes a legitimate complaint, through the proper channels, is hounded, threatened, demoted, set upon by thugs and in some cases, forced into a retraction. After decades of the Malaysian culture of fear, few people dare to complain. The problem grows until it reaches unmanageable proportions, like what is happening now.
The problem is not helped, with people like Harry Tan. They abuse their position of authority. They are dismissive. They sweep aside any allegations. They are irresponsible.
Harry Tan’s job is to acquire the data. He could arrange for a confidential online survey to find out if people, both students and teachers have been sexually harassed, in schools, instead of brushing aside their concerns.
Second. He started victim blaming.
Harry Tan demanded to know how many other reports had been made about sexual harassment, besides the one made by Ain.
Does an absence of reports of sexual harassment and abuse in schools, mean that he thinks Ain fabricated the story about the teacher?
Would Harry Tan adopt a similar dismissive stance if his own daughter or wife, was at the recieving end of being sexually harassed?
Backlash followed by Harry Tan’s back pedalling
Malaysians reacted with outrage at Harry Tan’s remarks so he tried to appease them, with an apology.
Some demanded his resignation. They are quite right too!
Harry Tan released a press statement and admitted that his response was insensitive.
What a pillock! He said “Sorry” after the rakyat reacted with fury. He is not sincere. He is only saving his badly tarnished reputation (and post), and if truth be told, the teachers in the NUTP should demand his resignation, too!
He is a sycophant and not worthy of the title of secretary-general. He failed his profession.
Harry Tan said, “Please accept my sincere apology. Neither I nor the NUTP would ever support any teacher who perpetrates the systemic nature of sexual harassment, rape, and abuse in schools.”
“The point I was trying to make was that the majority of the country’s 450,000 teachers are dedicated, hard-working, and caring educators.
No! No! No! Harry Tan, did you even listen to what the interviewers or the Malaysian rakyat asked?
No-one is blaming all the teachers for sexual harassment. No-one is tarring all the teachers with the same brush. No-one is questioning the dedication and hard work of the teachers.
All we want to know is whether the NUTP will start an investigation following the allegations of sexual harassment and abuse?
One allegation of sexual harassment or rape, is one too many.
These teachers have access to our children. Throughout their teaching career, they will have unfettered access to scores of thousands of children. The bad teachers are in a position to easily take advantage of our children.
By all means defend the innocent teachers but Harry Tan must learn that the bad, deviant and perverts in the teaching profession must be weeded out.
So, how many other sexual harassment cases go unreported because of a culture of fear, because of dismissive people like Harry Tan, and because of the stigma attached and the threats (remember the student who said he would rape Ain for making the allegations)?
If Harry Tan cannot learn to listen, how on earth did he become a teacher and a secretary-general of the NUTP?
About his remarks, he said, “Unfortunately, that did not come across clearly.”
Harry Tan is wrong. Everything he said came across crystal clear. He has shown that his position is untenable and he should resign.
Dirty Harry
When Harry Tan’s interview video went viral, a few of his former students made serious allegations about him.
In an excerpt of the Malaysiakini report, Twitter user “Jaschintaz” claimed that Harry Tan was her STPM English teacher in 1998, and she accused him of being sexist. She said, “During a lesson, we were asked to present our job ambitions. I said I wanted to study law – note, not be a lawyer, just study law.
“He uttered a sexist statement that angers me to this day: ‘Girls should never be lawyers’,” she tweeted.
Fuelled by Harry Tan’s nasty remark, Jaschintaz went on to pursue law, and she told Malaysiakini that for the past 16 years, has been involved in the legal industry. She has also launched a petition calling for Harry Tan’s resignation as NUTP secretary-general.
Meanwhile, others who came forward claimed that they were Harry Tan’s former students.
One alleged that Harry Tan had watched lewd videos while teaching as a substitute teacher, while another alleged that he had stored lewd videos on a laptop which he then lent to students for a project.
Harry Tan lost the plot during his Astro Awani interview, then went home with his tail between his legs.
Naturally, Dirty Harry denied any wrongdoing when asked about the allegations.
What à bleeding useless toe rag!
Harry should shut himself in an empty no-class room and do the Harry Kiri.
Borrow the famous extra long Made-in-China tourist souvenir keris reserved for reducing Malaysia’s Chinese population from Uncle Hisha.
Please Harry up, Tan, a blooming ineffectual sod in a class of your own!
May you be plugged up your recess during the first class break, Alhamdulilah!
Harry sangat kotor: Unsur-unsur Penyelewengan dalam Kesatuan Perkhidmatan Perguruan Kebangsaan (NUTP) oleh Setiausaha Agung NUTP
NUTP merupakan kesatuan yang terbesar di Malaysia yang mempunyai 200, 000 lebih ahli kesatuan dan merupakan gabungan dengan CUEPACS, MTUC, ILO. Laporan ini dibuat dengan harapan agar siasatan lanjut dapat dijalankan demi menjaga imej NUTP serta Negara yang tercinta disamping mengembalikan keyakinan kepada ahli kesatuan atas prinsip bersih, cekap dan amanah. Aduan ini dipanjangkan kepada pihak JHEKS supaya satu siasatan segera yang mendalam dapat dijalankan ke atas perkara-perkara yang dilakukan oleh Setiausaha Agung NUTP yang didapati bercanggah dengan perlembagaan NUTP, yang mencabar ketelusan dan integriti kesatuan sekerja yang terbesar di Malaysia.
2. Sehubungan dengan itu, perkara di atas dirujuk, perkara yang dimaklumkan oleh staf NUTP adalah seperti berikut:
2.1 Membuat tuntutan gaji dari NUTP
2.1.1 Setiausaha Agung NUTP telah menipu Exco NUTP tentang kelulusan Cuti Tanpa Gaji yang dimaklumkan akan berpanjangan sehingga bulan September 2021. Namun demikian, Setiausaha Agung NUTP masih mencalonkan diri untuk bertanding bagi jawatan ibu pejabat. Malahan, tuntutan gaji hakiki beliau iaitu sebanyak RM8,000 sebulan masih dibuat dengan NUTP. Ini belum lagi mengambilkira elaun Setiausaha Agung dan elaun perumahan yang diterima dari NUTP. Perkara ini adalah amat serius kerana pelaporan penerimaan gaji sebagai seorang penjawat awam dirahsiakan dari NUTP dan tuntutan gaji masih dibuat.
2.2 Membelanjakan wang NUTP tanpa kelulusan Exco NUTP atau Jawatankuasa Kerja
2.2.1 Setiausaha Agung NUTP telah membuat pembelian peralatan dan barang tanpa sebarang kelulusan dari Exco NUTP iaitu pembelian komputer riba untuk kesemua setiausaha cawangan NUTP serta pembelian komputer riba yang canggih dan mahal buat diri sendiri.
2.2.2 Tidak mendapat sebut harga perbandingan dan juga kelulusan Exco NUTP sebelum membuat pesanan bahan cetakan untuk kesatuan/cawangan.
2.2.3 Pembelian Cenderahati dibuat tanpa sebut harga atau kelulusan Exco NUTP.
2.2.4 Membuat tuntutan dengan NUTP atas perbelanjaan makanan peribadi iaitu makan bersama keluarga di restoran. (Bendahari Agung NUTP turut melakukan perkara yang sama)
2.2.5 Perjanjian dengan syarikat pembangunan aplikasi MyNutp yang dibayar dalam anggaran RM25, 000 sebulan berjumlah hampir RM3 juta untuk 10 – 15 tahun tanpa mendapat kelulusan Exco.
2.2.6 Pembayaran pihak ketiga tanpa dimaklumkan kepada Exco kerana membuat pembinaan semula ibu pejabat NUTP sebelum kelulusan diperolehi. Bayaran bawah kaunter RM100, 000 kepada pihak pemilik bangunan yang membuat aduan kerana pemecahan bangunan ibu pejabat yang dibuat sebelum memperolehi kelulusan.
2.3 Penyelewengan penggunaan kemudahan dan peralatan di bangunan ibu pejabat NUTP
2.3.1 Bilik tidur khas buat Setiausaha Agung NUTP dan anak di bangunan ibu pejabat NUTP
2.3.2 Isteri Setiausaha Agung membawa baju dan menggunakan sabun pembersih pejabat serta mesin basuh milik kesatuan bagi kegunaan peribadi.
3. Penyalahgunaan kuasa sebagai Setiausaha Agung NUTP
3.1 Sejak tahu 2017, meminta staf ‘punch in’ untuk beliau setiap hari.
3.2 Meminta staf untuk memasak satu jenis lauk untuk beliau setiap hari bekerja secara bergilir.
3.3 Menggunakan kenderaan milik NUTP untuk balik ke rumah di Melaka tetapi masih membuat tuntutan perjalanan dengan NUTP.
3.4 Tidak memastikan kutipan sewa kondominium milik NUTP dibuat sejak tahun 2015.
3.5 Menghantar ahli Exco NUTP ke luar negara atas dasar ‘pilih kasih’ dan tidak pernah dibentangkan dalam mesyuarat Exco. Kesemua Pengerusi, Setiausaha dan Bendahari Cawangan dihantar ke negara Jepun serta pelbagai lawatan yang tidak dibentangkan dilakukan seperti ke Geneva, Denmark, Sweden, New Zealand, Turki, Indonesia, Vietnam, China, Korea, Thailand, India dan Singapura. Peserta lawatan turut diberi wang saku perbelanjaan. Ini adalah amat tidak telus dan tidak patut dilakukan menggunakan wang kesatuan.
4. Perbuatan mencabar JHEKS dan arahan KSN
4.1 Setiausaha Agung NUTP telah secara terbuka memaklumkan kepada kesemua Exco dalam Mesyuarat Exco bahawa pemimpin kesatuan yang sedia ada patut menghabiskan kesemua dana NUTP kerana pemimpin baru boleh mencari dana sendiri. Beliau juga memaklumkan kepada semua SU Cawangan bahawa tidak perlu takut kepada JHEKS kerana JHEKS hanya pelaksana. Perkara ini amat serius dan mempersoalkan Kedaulatan Undang-undang seperti yang termaktub dalam Rukun Negara.
4.2 Setiausaha Agung NUTP juga telah memaklumkan kepada kesemua setiausaha cawangan bahawa arahan oleh Ketua Setiausaha Negara tidak perlu diikuti iaitu arahan berkaitan ketidakbenaran guru yang memegang jawatan pentadbir atau DG52 ke atas untuk bertanding bagi jawatan tertinggi NUTP. Sekiranya ketidakpatuhan ini dicabar, Setiausaha Agung NUTP akan dibantu oleh ILO.
4.3 Setiausaha Agung NUTP juga memaklumkan kepada kesemua setiausaha cawangan bahawa NUTP akan melawan JHEKS menggunakan khidmat guaman sekiranya JHEKS mendapatkan surat dari Mahkamah.
4.4 Setiausaha Agung NUTP kini sedang memberi tekanan kepada Setiausaha Cawangan Selangor untuk menetapkan tarikh mesyuarat agung tritahunan Cawangan Selangor secepat mungkin dan menyelesaikan pemilihan pegawai peringkat negeri secepat mungkin walaupun kini Selangor masih dalam PKP. Memandangkan negeri Selangor masih berada dalam PKP, langkah ini amat tidak sesuai dan menunjukkan bahawa Setiausaha Agung NUTP tidak mematuhi peraturan dan undang-undang yang ditetapkan. Setiausaha Agung NUTP juga bercadang untuk mengadakan mesyuarat dalam talian untuk membincangkan perihal pemilihan serta penganjuran Mesyuarat Agung Tritahunan NUTP yang ditetapkan untuk diadakan di Hotel Seri Pacific pada pertengahan bulan Jun 2021.
Kesemua perkara ini amat menyedihkan saya kerana NUTP telah dibangunkan dengan penuh integriti dan atas prinsip ketelusan. Pemimpin-pemimpin yang lalu telah banyak berkorban untuk ahli serta kebaikan profesion perguruan. Saya tidak mahu NUTP dibelenggu oleh penyelewengan yang akan menyebabkan kejatuhan Kesatuan Sekerja yang paling besar di Malaysia. Sudah tiba masanya, NUTP bergerak tanpa masalah rasuah dan penyelewengan kuasa. Amatlah diharap pihak Polis dan pihak JHEKS dapat melancarkan satu siasatan yang terperinci terhadap penyelewengan yang berlaku dalam NUTP supaya kesatuan ini dapat diselamatkan.