Press Conference Statement by Parliamentary Opposition Leader, DAP Secretary-General and MP for Tanjong, Lim Kit Siang, in Seremban on Thursday, 30th June 1994 at 12 pm
I give Dr. Gordon Nendick 24 hours to produce proof that he had the support and patronage of Dr. Mahathir to displace a Malaysian to become TAPE College Seremban Principal without the approval or knowledge of Education Ministry or he should be repatriated back to Australia and banned from re-entry into Malaysia for the national insult of misusing the name of the Prime Minister
The MIC-owned TAPE College in Seremban is again the centre of another scandal – this time in having an expatriate principal, Dr. Gordon Nendick, without the approval of the Education Ministry which is in violation of the 1961 Education Act.
What is most shocking is the brazen manner in which Dr. Gordon Nendick is justifying his appointment as TAPE College Principal, claiming that his appointment was personally approved by the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr.Mahathir Mohamed.
Thus, in Tuesday’s press, Dr. Gordon Nendick said:”My appointment, was made with the consent of the Prime Minister himself. It is even stated in my work permit in my passport”.
Is Dr. Gordon Nendick’s claim true that he has got the support and patronage of the Prime Minister, Datuk Seri Dr. Mahathir Mohamed, to be the Principal of TAPE College Seremban even without the approval or knowledge of the Education Ministry, as required by the 1961 Education Act?
Has Dr. Mahathir supported the removal of the local principal of TAPE College, A. Kalimuthu to be replaced by an expatriate?
This will be very unlike and uncharacteristic of Dr. Mahathir and unless Dr. Gordon Nendick can produce proof that he had the support and patronage of Dr. Mahathir to displace a Malaysian principal, without approval or knowledge of the Education Ministry, Dr. Gorden Nendick is clearly misusing the name of the Prime Minister for his own ends.
I am giving Dr. Gordon Nendick 24 hours to produce proof that he had the support and patronage of Dr. Mahathir to displace a Malaysian principal, and to become principal of TAPE COLLEGE Seremban without the approval or knowledge of the Education Ministry.
Mahathir and Sulaiman Daud to be queried in Parliament on why a Malaysian Principal of TAPE College had been removed and demoted to give way to a foreigner
If Dr. Gordon Nendick cannot produce proof within 24 hours that he has the support and patronage of Dr. Mahathir to displace a Malaysian to become TAPE College Principal without approval or knowledge of the Education Ministry, I will demand that the Immigration Department should repatriate Dr. Gorden back to Australia for his grave offence and insult to Malaysian hospitality in misusing the name of the Prime Minister for his personal ends and that Dr. Gordon should be barred from any re-entry into Malaysia.
I am giving Dr. Gordon Nendick 24 hours to produce proof that he has got the support and patronage of the Prime Minister to displace a Malaysian Principal of TAFE College and to violate the 1961 Education Act because I will be querying Mahathir and the Education Minister, Datuk Sulaiman Daud when Parliament reconvenes next Monday on July 4 as to why a Malaysian Principal of TAFE College had been removed and demoted to give way to a foreigner.
In this connection, it is most regrettable that the TAFE College Chairman, Dr. T.Marimuthu – who is also Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministry of Agriculture – has been giving misleading-and. dishonest statements about the TAFE College.
TAFE College Seremban was raided by several departments, including officers from Education Ministry, State Education Department, Immigration and Police on Tuesday 21st June following complaints from students and parents about improprieties and violations of the 1961 Education Act in connection with TAFE College Seremban, which belonged to MIC’s Maju Institute of Education Development (MIED).
One of the complaints was that TAFE College had demoted the Malaysian Principal, A. Kalimuthu to a mere administrator while a foreigner, Dr. Gordon Nendick had been promoted as principal without approval or knowledge of the Education Ministry as required by the Education Act.
The next day after the raid, Dr. T. Marimuthu denied allegations of impropriety and non-compliance of the Education Act by TAFE College and said such insinuations had tarnished the educational institutions’s credibility.
By making such baseless denials, Dr. Marimuthu has only tarnished his own credibility.
As Chairman of TAFE College, Dr. T. Marimuthu cannot be unaware of the letter from the Education Department to TAFE College dated 10th June 1994 querying as to why TAFE had violated the 1961 Education Act in appointing a foreigner as Principal without approval of the Education Ministry – and that when the Education Ministry officials raided TAFE College on 21st June, they contineud to query on this matter.
Dr. Nendick was not telling the truth when he claimed that as he had just become principal, he did not know the full facts about the payment of RM250,000 to Control-Tech Ent. for equipment for mechanical engineering department which had not been delivered
The TAFE College students and parents have also complained to the Education Ministry about improprieties, like the payment of RM250,000 for machines and equipment for the mechanical engineering diploma course for over a year ago, but most of the items had yet to be delivered.
The machines and equipment were essential for the students under the TAFE-Australia programme, and this had adversely affected the interests of the students.
In a press interview last Tuesday, Dr. Nendick admitted that MIED had paid RM250,000 for seven pieces of equipment for the mechanical engineering department but only two were delivered.
He said: “I have just been appointed the principal so I do not know the full facts of the situation. I am trying to contact the college’s former director of academics Mike Jefferson who was responsible for the purchase”.
Asked if he knew whether the company, Control-Tech, which was to supply the equipment, was still in operation, Dr. Neudick said there were rumours that the company was in “some difficulties”.
Dr. Nendick was not telling the truth when he claimed that he did not know the full facts of the payment of RM250,000 to Control Tech. Ent. for equipment for the mechanical engineering department.
Dr. Gordon Nendick was the Academic and Administrative Director of TAPE College in 1991-1992 (when he was also consultant of TAPE Western Australia). In June 1992, Dr. Gordon was employed by MIED as MIED Director to look after TAFE College PJ and Seremban, mainly based in Petaling Jaya. When the TAFE PJ Business Studies and Computer Studies folded up, Dr. Gordon moved to Seremban and on 16th May 1994, he was made Principal of TAFE College Seremban when the Malaysian Principal, A. Kalimuthu was demoted to the post of Administrator.
This means that from 1991 to 1994, Dr. Gordon Nendick had been running the Tafe College Seremban and all the finances was under his control, and nothing could happen without his consent.
It was with his permission and consent as MIED Director that the RM250,000 worth equipments and machines were ordered from Control Tech Ent. and paid in February 1993 – although five of the seven items had not been delivered up to now.
Dr. Nendick should explain why TAFE College paid another RM95,000 to Control Tech Ent. for electronics equipment in June and August. 1993 -which had also not been delivered
Dr. Nendick must not only be held responsible for the improprieties over the payment for RM250,000 in February 1993 for equipment most of which had not been delivered, but for another payment of RM95,000 – one payment of RM35,000 in June 1993 and another payment of RM60,000 in August 1993 – for electronics equipment from the same company, Control Tech Ent., most of which had also not been delivered to date!
Malaysians can still remember the TAFE College Seremban scandal in May/June 1992, when it was revealed that it had been operating for seven years without a permit from the State Education Department.
It was also revealed in May 1992, that TAFE College had violated section 62(3) of the Education Act in appointing Australian expatriate Dr, Gordon Nendick as TAFE College Principal as only Malaysians could hold such posts.
As a solution, Dr. T. Marimuthu took over as principal for an interim period, to be replaced later by A. Kalimuthu.
Dr. T. Marimuthu should explain why TAFE College has demoted the Malaysian Principal A. Kalimuthu and again re-appointed Dr. Gordon Nendick as principal without approval from the Education Ministry and in violation of the Education Act.