KUALA LUMPUR – Schools should keep their canteens open, particularly for schools with non-Muslim children, to avoid them eating at inappropriate places during the fasting month of Ramadan, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.
“I don’t want the optics of non-Muslim children, other children who don’t fast, eating in the storeroom, eating in inappropriate places, while all schools have canteens. So they have to go to the canteen to eat. And Muslim students who fast will be managed by their teachers,” Fadhlina said in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Fadhlina was addressing concerns raised by Salamiah Mohd Nor (Temerloh-PN) regarding the decision to keep school canteens open during the fasting month of Ramadan.
She reiterated that the Education Ministry had previously recommended keeping canteens open during Ramadan, especially for schools with non-Muslim students.
Fadhlina stressed the need for non-Muslim students to understand the religious practices of their Muslim friends and encouraged an environment of mutual respect and understanding.
“We have a circular in which we have already warned that the school canteen must operate throughout the school’s operating hours. And the most important thing is to build an environment or ecosystem with what is called ‘Lita’arafu’, understand each other, strengthen each other, and respect each other,” she added.
PAS earlier accused the Education Ministry of triggering an “unnecessary polemic” and “wasting time.”
The party’s ulama wing chief, Datuk Ahmad Yahaya, claimed that Fadhlina was being disrespectful of Ramadan and Muslim students who need to be nurtured into fasting from a young age.
“It’s not that we want to prevent non-Muslim students from eating during the day, but it’s just a form of education so that they learn to respect the Ramadan month from early on during their schooling days,” Ahmad said.
In response to PAS’ criticism, Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan expressed concern over the party’s incompatibility with a multiracial and multi-religious country like Malaysia.
He accused the Perikatan Nasional (PN) component of politicising the directive, emphasising the importance of avoiding divisive politics in educational matters.
“It is clear that they are more inclined to issue statements that divide the community instead of fostering unity. I urge PAS and PN to stop politicising our children’s school canteens.
Things like this should not be tainted with their narrow politics,” Syahredzan said. – March 13, 2024