Call on the Education Ministry to conduct a thorough probe to ascertain if the school had also banned the non Muslim pupils from using the canteen during the fasting month as the “renovation explanation” has been disputed

Media Statement by M Kula Segaran, DAP National Vice Chairman and MP for Ipoh Barat in Ipoh on Wednesday, July 24, 2013

Taken from  a facebook post

Call on the Education Ministry to conduct a thorough probe to ascertain if the school had also banned the non Muslim pupils from using the canteen during the fasting month as the “renovation explanation” has been disputed.

Many Malaysians were shocked when they saw face book pictures of SK Seri Pristina pupils having their meals in the school’s changing room. 

In the press report today, the school headmaster Mohd Nasir Mohd Noor said that Muslim and non-Muslim students had been using the school’s changing room since March to have their meals.
He said the increased enrolment and space shortage in the canteen had prompted the decision.
He also stressed that he would never discriminate against his pupils, pointing out that the changing room was clean and that it was the closest room to the canteen.

Mohd Nasir said the canteen had been closed over the past week due to minor 'renovation'.
It was reported that Mohd Nasir said that the minor renovation, to change a glass door at the canteen, was completed over the weekend and that the canteen was to have been re-opened on Monday.

“I did not know that it was kept closed. I was away for a meeting that day,” Mohd Nasir said.

An angry public had called me to say that if indeed space shortage was the reason for forcing the pupils to have meals in the changing room, would the headmaster have his office located in the changing room if there is a shortage of teachers’ room?

Obviously, many Malaysians are not happy that a changing room is used as a meals room, irrespective whether the room is clean as claimed by the school.

Although the headmaster had given his explanation, I call on the Education Ministry to conduct a thorough probe to ascertain if the school had also banned the non Muslim pupils from using the canteen during the fasting month as the “renovation explanation” has been disputed.

According to a media report, a parent had said that she knew for a fact that earlier, the children were allowed to sue the canteen, but suddenly the canteen was shut.

Several parents had also claimed that the canteen was out-of-bounds after the operator closed shop for the fasting month. The school authorities tied a red tape around the premises to stop children from using the place.

The Education Ministry must therefore carry out a full probe which involves interviewing the headmaster , teachers, parents and pupils.

I also call on the government to make the probe results public and take stern action against the school headmaster if probe result shows that the continued decision to make the pupils have their meals in the changing room during the fasting month when the canteen was empty was not due to renovation work.