Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) is yet to reply to a letter submitted by Sarawak PKR last year enquiring whether it has withdrawn the rule that restricts non-Muslim religious activities in all Mara junior science colleges (MRSM) in the state.

The letter was sent following complaints from Christian parents that their children were prohibited from wearing or displaying crucifixes, rosaries and other Christian symbols including the Bible while on college premises.

Non-Muslim students were also required to seek permission to attend religious activities outside the campus.

“I have not received any reply from Mara. It could mean they have withdrawn the rule or they are trying to hide something,” Sarawak PKR chief Baru Bian said at a press conference yesterday.

Baru ( right ), who is Ba’Kelalan state assemblyperson, had previously threatened to sue Mara as he considered the ban was unconstitutional because Mara colleges were not religious institutions and were open to non-Muslim pupils.

He said that he did not want to make any conclusions until he received a reply from Mara. “We want to clear it out,” Baru said, pointing out Mara must be transparent because the rules had invoked a lot of apprehensions among Christian parents.

Baru said in his letter to Abdul Wahid Ahmad, the director of secondary education at Mara’s head office in Kuala Lumpur, he had requested Mara to explain if the rules for non-Muslim students still existed.

Religious discrimination

He said that it was important to find out the truth in view of conflicting reports such as the denial by Rural and Regional Development Minister Shafie Apdal on the existence of such rules while Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin ( below ) had directed Mara to revoke them with immediate effect.

The issue was raised last year but, when contacted, the then-principal of MRSM Betong said that they did not practise such discrimination.

However, the current principal admitted the ban had been in place for several years now.

The issue was ‘Rule 9’ in MRSM handbook for new students which stated that all religious activities with the exception of Islamic activities were totally prohibited on campus. The rule also prohibited the display of non-Islamic religious symbols.

Baru wanted Mara to reply to his letter as Christian parents were still reluctant to send their children to Mara junior colleges in the state. “We want to know the situation now,” he said.

In view of ‘Rule 9’, Sarawak PKR had expressed concern that institutionalised religious discrimination had spread to schools in Sarawak.

“We must stop this scourge before it destroys the religious and racial harmony that we take so much pride in,” said Baru, adding that such practices taught the young that religious discrimination and intolerance were acceptable.