Kota Kinabalu: Inanam Assemblyman Dr Roland Chia (pic) on Tuesday sought to diffuse a controversy over his presence at a school's Kaamatan, saying it had nothing to do with the school's management.Questions over his presence at the mini Kaamatan event held at the Kg Tombongon community centre on April 28 arose after Sepanggar MP Datuk Jumat Idris posted a photo of Chia with the event's committee members on Facebook, asking for an explanation from the Education Department.Chia said it was immature of Jumat to drag a school into the so-called controversy.
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He also said it is unfair of Jumat to accuse the management of SK Tombongan of inviting him to officiate at the event. "I went there as I was informed of the event by some of the parents whose children are schooling in SK Tombongan.
"I am a 'YB' with no protocol and it has always been my policy to meet with everyone in my constituency."I was at the event to support the children who joined the Unduk Ngadau, Sugandoi and other competitions as well as meeting my old friends…it has nothing to do with the school's management," he said.
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He said it is also not fair for Jumat to allege that the mini Kaamatan event was held in the school premises."For me, parents love to have the support from their 'YB' and that is why I attended the event.
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"It was immature of him to post it on Facebook," he said, adding that he had also aired his disappointment on the issue through Facebook, stating that the event was not a political programme but a cultural event.On Tuesday, SK Tombongan headmaster Abd Kadir Abd Latif was reported as saying that the presence of Chia at the school's mini Kaamatan event was not at the invitation of the school.
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Abd Kadir made the clarification after a picture of Chia with the event's committee members went viral on social media after Jumat posted the photo on his own Facebook account.In Jumat's Facebook account, he was said to have requested the Education Department to explain why an opposition leader was invited to officiate an event organised by a school.