Don't politicise school canteen issue, MP tells PAS

PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry's decision to keep school canteens open during Ramadan should not be politicised, says Bangi MP Syahredzan Johan.

He said in a post on X on Wednesday (March 13) in response to PAS ulama chief Datuk Ahmad Yahya that it is regrettable that the decision by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has become a political polemic.

"Once again, PAS and Perikatan Nasional have proven that their political stance is not in line with a multiracial and multi-religious nation like Malaysia," said Syahredzan.

He added that Fadhlina made the decision on humanitarian grounds and then said that there are many reasons why school canteens should remain open during Ramadan.

"We should not forget about past incidents where non-Muslim students had to eat in school bathrooms and other inappropriate places during the fasting month," he added.

He then urged PAS and Perikatan Nasional to stop politicising school canteens and said that Ahmad also accused Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek of hastily issuing the directive without respecting the Ramadan month.

It was reported that Ahmad had called the Education Ministry to focus on educating Muslim students about the importance of fasting and non-Muslim students on respecting the practice.

He said it can happen in a harmonious way without a directive for canteens to remain open when (Muslim) students are observing the Ramadan month.

Ahmad then said that it does not mean stopping non-Muslim students from eating during the day, adding that non-Muslim students may bring their own food and eat at allocated places within the school.