A PAS MP has criticised Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek for giving assurance that school canteens will continue operating during Ramadan.
Calling it an “excessive” move that triggers “unnecessary” polemic among the people, Pokok Sena MP Ahmad Yahaya said the ministry should instead focus on educating Muslim students on the importance of fasting and their non-Muslim counterparts on respecting the practice.
“This can happen in a harmonious way without a directive for canteens to remain open when (Muslim) students are observing the Ramadan month,” the PAS lawmaker said in a statement on Tuesday (March 12).
Ahmad further accused Fadhlina of being hasty in issuing the directive which he said was disrespectful to the Ramadan month itself, adding that matters such as these only create unnecessary polemic and is a waste of time.
“This does not mean that we are stopping the non-Muslim students from eating during the day, but it is also a form of ‘education’ for them to respect the Ramadan month since their schooling years,” he pointed out.
“(The non-Muslim students) can bring food and drinks to school and consume them in a space allocated for the purpose. This should suffice without the need for a directive for canteens to remain open (during Ramadan) which seems rather excessive.”
In her announcement yesterday (March 11), Fadhlina said it is a part of the standard operating procedure for schools every year during the holy month.
However, she said schools must provide guidance and education to non-Muslims to teach mutual respect for those who are fasting.
She also said there must also be an education for awareness and respect, especially for schools with non-Muslim students, and that respect should be a two-way street to create a healthy understanding among the students and teachers.
Previously, Bernama also reported that Fadhlina had advised school canteen operators to continue operating throughout Ramadan even if the school has less than 10% non-Muslim students.
She said this is because not all Muslim children are required to fast, especially at an early age, in addition to respecting non-Muslims during Ramadan. – March 12, 2024
Main pic credit: Blogspot/Kasih Makan Laila
