School association denies parents' claims of excessive religious rituals

The solat classes at Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) are in line with the Rukun Negara which speaks of belief in God, the Parents-Teachers Leadership Association (Muafakat) of MRSM said.

This is in response to a report where parents of MRSM students claimed the school was going overboard with its religious rituals to the point of affecting their children’s studies.

“We should all agree and support the statement that if academic excellence is bred through the teaching and learning process, then spiritual excellence is sowed through solat berjemaah, tazkirah, solat tahajud and solat hajat.

“This is not just a ritual, but a platform for tawakal after efforts and prayers.

“This is also in line with our Rukun Negara where the first tenet is belief in God,” the group said in a statement today.

Muafakat also said certain solat classes, like solat tahajud and solat hajat, are not a daily routine for the students, but are usually only held right before the weekends. The classes also take into account any upcoming major examinations, it said.

Muafakat also refuted the claims of a student being asked to attend a session to drive out spirits after the student failed to attend an al-Quran reading class as she was at extra Biology classes.

“As far as we know, if this alleged incident is true, it is an isolated incident and does not represent all MRSM.

“Every MRSM has a Muafakat which is a body that represents the parents and teachers.

“This matter should have been brought to the MRSM Muafakat so that it can be resolved or remedied and not wait until after SPM has ended to raise this matter,” they said.

Similarly, the claims of MRSM charging an additional RM200 for compulsory talaqqi classes are also an isolated incident, if it is true, Muafakat said.

Lastly, it also replied to claims that MRSM’s dress code compels female students to wear long pants under their baju kurung and a long-sleeved T-shirt and gloves while doing sports to avoid the gaze of male students.

“As far as we know, all MRSM rules related to dress code, discipline and so on are published in the students’ annual planning book.

“The way to dress satisfies courtesy and morality. So it is not true that MRSM is trying to excessively teach its students how to dress,” Muafakat said. - Mkini