There is no need for the police to obtain parents' consent or ensure their presence when questioning children, said inspector-general of police Khalid Abu Bakar today.

He was referring to the recent incident where Sungai Buloh police admitted to interviewing school children from SK Seri Pristana without the parents' presence.

"Why can't we (question without parents’ presence)? There's nothing in the law that says we need to get their consent," he said.

NONE “Who said we can’t question children?” Khalid ( left ) asked.

Last week, the Sungai Buloh police had admitted to “interviewing” the the school children over the makeshift canteen controversy that erupted at the school last month.

This has attracted the ire of the children's parents, who had announced their intention to transfer their children out of the controversial school.

The school caught the public attention after using a shower room as a makeshift canteen during the Ramadan fasting month.

The school authorities were alleged to have made non-Muslim students eat in the shower room, a claim that was denied by the school, which insisted that the shower room has been converted into a canteen since March this year.

Deputy Education Minister II P Kamalanathan declared the issue solved after asking the school to re-open their canteen for the pupils, but the issue shows no signs of dissipating.

The school principal has alleged having received death threats, and blamed it on the parent of one of the school pupils.