BANTING: A secondary school teacher accused of hurling racial slurs against her Indian students recently is on leave prior to her transfer on Monday.

Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department Senator T. Murugiah, who visited SMK Telok Panglima Garang yesterday, said the teacher regretted the incident and had apologised to the students.

"She also said that she did not expect things to become so serious and has agreed to be transferred to another school," added Murugiah who was accompanied by officers from the Education Ministry and the Prime Minister's Department's Public Complaints Bureau.

Two students lodged police reports against the female history teacher last Friday alleging that she had made derogatory remarks about Indian students and called them unflattering names.

According to Murugiah, recommendations would also be made to the Education Ministry to institute disciplinary action against her.

He said the issue was now considered closed and advised members of the Indian community as well as parents of the affected students to accept the teacher's apology.

However, relatives of the affected students as well as the members of the Telok Panglima Garang Indian community refused to regard the matter as closed.

"She must make a public apology as she insulted all Indians and be transferred to a desk job and not allowed to teach anymore," said the group's spokesman S. Muthamil Selvan.

Coalition of Malaysian Indian NGOs secretary Gunaraj George concurred and said his organisation was preparing a memorandum on the matter to be presented to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.