IS THIS RIGHT? Fasting month, non-Muslim students forced to eat next to toilet

Photographs which have emerged online allegedly showing non-Muslim students of a primary school being made to eat in a shower room during fasting month, have angered netizens.

The photographs uploaded supposedly by a parent on popular social networking site Facebook yesterday, shows students of SK Seri Pristina in Sungai Buloh sitting around tables set up in the school’s changing or shower room.

It is alleged that school authorities have made the students eat in the makeshift dining room, located next to the toilets.

No food is believed to be served in the canteen, which is said to be closed during Ramadan.

It was stated that Education officials have met with school authorities and parents at 2.30pm.

In an immediate response on Twitter, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said the school has been instructed to change the location of the temporary eating room.

He added that the ministry has requested an investigation into the matter.

"If the canteen is under renovation, a proper place should have been identified; surely not the changing room.

"It is not the right thing to do. The school could have appointed a temporary canteen operator to run the operations during Ramadan," he said.

Full of bacteria, says parent

In her Facebook posting at 2.30 this morning, Guneswari Kelly, who claims to have a daughter schooling there, said the children are forced to eat there despite the foul stench.

"The bathroom is full of bacteria and smells..., and the toilet next door has a horrible smell," she said.

She claims that when parents complain, the children are just directed to another bathroom or a store room.

"As a mother, I am in tears and sadness. How many times do they need to run...? Dear Malay friends, is this fair to you? Does your Allah allow this?" she asked.

Her post has been shared more than 1,900 times and received more than 160 comments within 12 hours, including from Muslims who condemned the act and urged punishment against the school administrators.

Some say they will lodge police reports while others posted the link to the headmaster's Facebook page, urging action.

One FB user, Mythreyar Mutturamalinggam lodged a police report at the Tanjung Malim police station in Perak this afternoon.

Meanwhile, commentor Emy Deen said: "I am a Malay and a Muslim and I certainly do not agree with this kind of treatment against another...

"This is not the teachings of Islam. I hope those involved are punished accordingly. I wonder where they put their brains."

Another commentor, who claims to be a teacher, said the children should have been allowed to eat at the canteen as usual but advised not to show off their food to the Muslim children who are fasting.

"That is it. Not to hide (the children) in a place like this. Unwise decision by the GB," Akmar Zainal Mokhtar said, referring to the headmaster.

Suguna Papachan added that the incident stemmed from a lack of policy to address differences in race and religion.

"(The government) does not recognise that we are multi-religious, it doesn't recognise that we need to co-exist thus it (is not) that Islam is the official religion and that everyone should respect it and it only.

"There should be respect of cultural and religious beliefs of all, for example, if Muslims fast in school, there should be food made available for students who aren't Muslims," she said.

- Malaysiakini