As the Holy Month of Ramadan begins today, Muslims both in Malaysia as well as across the world will be fasting until the Eid al-Fitr celebrations. With that said, Education Minister YB Fadhlina Sidek has advised all school canteen operators nationwide to continue remaining open during this period, in order to cater to students who will not be partaking in the practice.
School canteens to remain open during Ramadan
According to local newswire service BERNAMA, the decision to keep school canteens in operation in this time is out of respect to children of different faiths who still need to be able to enjoy regular meals, in addition to the fact that younger Muslim children may not be required to fast like their older counterparts.
“This is the MADANI government, an inclusive government, where both sides respect each other, those who fast must be polite to those who are not fasting, and those who are not fasting must learn to respect those who are fasting.” she said.
She adds that the Ministry’s decision is also meant to circumvent instances of non-Muslim school students being reported having to eat their meals by drains or in storerooms as a consequence of canteens being shuttered. Back in 2013, photographs of non-Muslim students from a local school being forced to eat their meals in a bathroom during the fasting month went viral over social media.
The advice will also apply to schools who have less than 10-percent of non-Muslim students. Canteen operators have been instructed to discuss with school management on how best to come to an arrangement in that regard.
Canteen operator association raise concerns
This comes after Fadhlina was asked about a recommendation posed by the Association of School Canteen Operators secretary-general Siti Normah Desa to close canteens in schools with a non-Muslim population of less than 10%.
In a report on the matter by local newspaper Berita Harian, Siti Normah said that the decision to open canteens during the Ramadan period should be made based upon the considerations of both the school administration and canteen operators, depending on the needs of students.
She expressed concerns over the fact that should canteens remain open under these circumstances, they will not be able to earn enough to make up for their operating costs, resulting in losses.
Tap here to give us a ‘Like’ on Facebook and stay up-to-date on the latest news!
