KUALA LUMPUR: An education activist and non-governmental organisation has defended the Education Ministry's directive for school canteens to remain operating during Ramadan.
The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said the directive was an act of compassion for students who were unable to fast and non-Muslims.
She characterised Pas Ulama Council chief Datuk Ahmad Yahaya's opposition to the directive as being the words of a politician who was "running out of ideas".
"We welcome the Education Ministry's decision to keep school canteens open throughout Ramadan. It is critical to understand that not all students will be fasting.
"Some may be too weak and require nourishment, whereas others may be menstruating or ill.
"Some non-Muslim students might wish to eat during recess. They should be able to do so without being sidelined by fanatical politicians who indulge in moral policing of our students," she told the New Straits Times.
Azimah added that canteen operators should not be concerned about waste or financial losses because they know how many students they have to feed.
"The school canteen operators can budget accordingly during Ramadan, minimising potential wastage."
Earlier, Pas criticised the Education Ministry's directive to canteen operations during Ramadan as an inappropriate step that could cause unnecessary controversy.
Ahmad had said the closure of school canteens during Ramadan was a practice and a societal norm to respect fasting Muslims, including students training themselves to fast.
Meanwhile, education activist Mak Chee Kin said the ministry's instruction was based on respect for non-Muslims' rights and is determined by the school's ethnic composition.
He said that the command does not imply that they are disrespecting Muslims, but there should be a win-win solution that the school management and the canteen operators can review.
"Whether to open or not depends very much on the racial composition of students in the schools and whether it is profitable for the canteen operator.
"Therefore, there is no necessity for schools which are 100 per cent Muslim to open. But if there are non-Muslim students and teachers in that particular school, something can be worked out amicably."
On March 11, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek had said school canteen operators should continue operations throughout Ramadan.
She had said it was a part of the standard operating procedure for schools every year during the holy month.
However, she had said schools must provide guidance and education to non-Muslims to teach them mutual respect for those who were fasting.