VIDEO | 1.52 min

The shower room of a primary school in Sungai Buloh has been used as a "canteen" since March this year due to "space constraints" in the canteen proper.

NONE S Yogendran, the special officer to Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan, said that SK Seri Pristana's principal had informed him that the canteen was not large enough to accommodate the students.

However, he did not provide an explanation as to why the canteen was not used during the Ramadan fasting month despite space availability, referring the issue to Kamalanathan.

NONE "But the matter is solved. They will allocate a space in the canteen for the students," he said after a meeting with parents, school administration, and Education Ministry officials at the school premises today.

Yogendran also said that the shower room was transformed into a temporary canteen as students had to sit on the pavements near the canteen and drainage to eat their food during recess.

Kapar MP G Manivannan, who also met school officials today, questioned the reasoning behind the school continuing to use the shower room when the canteen was available.

NONE Kamalanathan had earlier in his tweet claimed to have been informed that the school canteen was being renovated.

A survey by KiniTV inside the school premises showed that the canteen did not show any renovation work signs, though a student had claimed to see a “red tape” around the canteen.

KiniTV also discovered that there were still tables and chairs in the shower room.

The principal, however, told both Yogendran and Manivannan that the shower room, which is next to a toilet, would not be used from tomorrow.

However, parents met by Malaysiakini outside the school compound said they had only been aware of the matter since last Friday, when their eight-year-old child complained of having to eat in a “very narrow room”.

Meanwhile, Deputy Prime Minister and Education Minister I Muhyiddin Yassin tweeted that action would be taken if there was any basis to the allegation.

"I have instructed the Education Ministry to investigate the issue involving non-Muslim students being instructed to eat in the toilet.

"Stern action would be taken if there are any basis (to the allegation)," he said.

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