'Non-Muslims, non-fasting students should eat at school canteen'

PARLIAMENT | Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek today said the ministry did not want to see any students being forced to eat in “inappropriate” conditions at school throughout Ramadan.

She also defended a ministry’s directive for school canteens to continue operating during Ramadan, stating that it had already been practised since last year.

“I have stressed the importance of making non-Muslim students understand about the practice of their Muslim friends and for them to respect each other.

“I don’t want there to be non-Muslim children, children who are not fasting, eating in a store room, inappropriate places, when in every school there is a canteen,” she said.

“They have to go to the canteen and eat and Muslim students who are fasting will be managed by their teachers,” she added.

Responding to Salamiah Mohd Nor (PN-Temerloh), Fadhlina said her initial remarks were made as a reply to a question asked during the first day of a school visit.

She said the same question on canteen operations during Ramadan was raised last year and the ministry had also suggested that the canteen remains open.

Yesterday, PAS ulama wing chief Ahmad Yahaya accused Fadhlina of triggering an “unnecessary” polemic and that the ministry should instead focus on educating Muslim students about the importance of fasting and their non-Muslim counterparts to respect the practice.

Previously, Fadhlina’s insistence for canteens to remain open was also made despite a recommendation from Persatuan Pengusaha Kantin Sekolah Malaysia to stop operations if the schools have less than 10 percent non-Muslim students. - Mkini