'Gag order on religious teachings in school?'

There could be a gag order imposed on the students of SK Bihai in Pos Bihai, near Gua Musang in Kelantan, on religious instructions that they may have received, claimed one of the students’ parents.

He said that even after the incident last week where four non-Muslim Orang Asli children were allegedly slapped for not reciting the doa (Islamic prayer), students remained mum on the issue when asked.

“Maybe the teachers had given a warning not to tell their parents when they go home. That’s what we are suspecting,” said SK Bihai Parent-Teacher Association deputy chairperson Arom Asir.

He told Malaysiakinitoday that he also suspected that the religious teachings has gone on for some time but parents were not aware until the slapping incident.

In the incident, he claimed, the girls had run home to complain of being slapped, so the parents, including himself, went to confront the teacher.

“He (the teacher) said, ‘Yes, that is my right. I am a teacher and I can teach these students.

“But we are not satisfied because if he wants to teach religion, the school needs to provide information on this freely and transparently before it even exists,” said Arom, who is related to three of the victims.

He also pointed out that under Section 17(2) of the Aboriginal Peoples Act 1954, no aboriginal child should be obliged to attend any religious instruction without parental consent.