The supposed joke by a teacher in Kedah and his instruction to non-Muslim pupils not to drink in class are both inappropriate, said National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Hashim Adnan.

He said teachers should know their audience before cracking jokes, while non-Muslim pupils should have the right to drink wherever they want since they are not the ones fasting.

"Why create problems? We live in a world where we have all these different ethnic groups in the classes. So please respect others while teaching and working in the classroom.

"Every teacher should respect other races, because we wouldn’t want to be saying something that sounds like a joke, but means a lot to the people listening to it," he told Malaysiakini .

 

Hashim ( photo ) was asked about a complaint that had been raised against SK Ibrahim's senior assistant of students affairs, who supposedly told non-Muslim pupils to consume water in the toilet, and to drink from the tap or their own urine if they don't have drinking water.

Kedah exco member for education Tajul Urus Mat Zain had clarified yesterday that the teacher was only telling non-Muslim pupils not to drink in class in presence of their Muslim classmates who are fasting for Ramadan, and that they could ask their teacher’s permission to drink outside of class.

He said the teacher then went on to joke that they could drink in the toilet as well, but had actually warned pupils "not to drink their urine as well".

The teacher's speech was made during an assembly on Sunday morning, just four days into the Ramadan fasting period. Another assembly was held yesterday to "correct" the teacher's statement.

Unamused, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said last night that this is unacceptable and action would be taken after the police completes its investigation on the matter.

Ridiculous expectation

At a press conference in Kuala Lumpur today, Women, Family and Community Development Minister Rohani Abdul Karim concurred that such jokes are unacceptable.

"Whatever you read in the newspapers, that's what I read too. If you ask me, of course it's not okay (to make such jokes to students).

"Maybe there is more to it than mentioned, we don't know," she told reporters.

Meanwhile, when asked to comment on the teacher's instructions to non-Muslim pupils not to drink water in presence of their Muslim classmates, Hashim said the issue should not arise.

He said it is "ridiculous" to expect non-Muslims to eat and drink in hiding just because it is the fasting month.

"They (Muslim pupils) are not being forced to eat. It is just their friends eating their lunch and they are not even asking them to eat.

"We respect each other, but you have to respect other people also. If they want to eat, let them eat and where they want to eat is up to them," he said.

Additional reporting by Geraldine Tong