Canteens are where students eat, not storerooms, says Fadhlina

KUALA LUMPUR: Students should be able to eat in the comfort of school canteens and not in inappropriate areas like storerooms, says Fadhlina Sidek.

"I do not want to have the optics of non-Muslim students having to eat their meals in storerooms or inappropriate areas when all schools have canteens," said the Education Minister, adding that Muslim students who were fasting would be managed by their respective teachers.

She called out the Opposition for describing the directive as "excessive", although a similar directive was issued last year.

"The question was previously raised last year on whether school canteens should remain open during the month of Ramadan, particularly schools which have non-Muslim students.

"A reminder of this was contained in a circular that school canteens are to remain open when schools are in operation," she said when winding up her ministerial replies on the motion of thanks on the Royal Address in Dewan Rakyat on Wednesday (March 13).

In a statement on Tuesday (March 11), the PAS ulama council described the ministry's directive for school canteens to remain open during Ramadan as controversial and "excessive".

Its chief, Pokok Sena MP Datuk Ahmad Yahaya, said closing school canteens during Ramadan was a societal norm to respect Muslims who were fasting and claimed that Fadhlina had acted hastily when issuing the directive.

On another matter, Fadhlina defended the right for vernacular schools to exist in response to Salamiah Mohd Nor (PN-Temerloh).

She said that it was not an issue for such schools to teach a different syllabus.

"It is a syllabus under the Education Ministry. Such unfounded and extreme allegations should not be raised in the august House without facts," she said.

The Minister noted that the existence of vernacular schools is recognised under the Education Act, which was also upheld in a recent court ruling.

Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong (BN-Ayer Hitam) lauded Fadhlina for her response.

"Your answer is very clear on the stand regarding the two issues. The existence of vernacular schools should not be called to question as it is based on the Constitution," said the MCA president.