The school where a senior teacher had allegedly told non-Muslim pupils not to drink water in class has sealed its lips over the matter, saying police reports have been lodged.

Contacted by Malaysiakini , SK Ibrahim headmaster Rusli Md Tahir said he was aware of the matter but declined to comment.

"This is being investigated by the police. So we leave it to the police. I do not wish to comment," he added.

Earlier, a spokesperson for the school in Sungai Petani, Kedah, told Malaysiakini that the headmaster was on leave while his assistant has been holding a meeting today to discuss the allegations.

Meanwhile, Kedah's state executive councillor in charge of education denied that the incident took place.

Tajul Urus Mat Zain, who is planning to hold a press conference on the matter, told Malay Mail Online the teacher did not utter the remarks.

According to a purported letter of complaint circulating on various social media platforms, the school's senior assistant on student affairs had told non-Muslim students to drink water in the toilet instead of in the classroom.

He also allegedly told them during the school assembly yesterday that if they don't have water, they could either drink from the tap, or drink their own urine, instead.

This came just four days into the Ramadan fasting period.

Probe launched

In response, Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said the Kedah State Education Department has been directed to investigate.

"However, at a policy level the allegations if true are definitely not the policy of the ministry. Also, if found true, those responsible will be dealt with seriously for breaching the ministries policy,” Kamalanathan ( photo ) said today.

Previously, it was another school that caused controversy during the Ramadan in 2013, when photos of non-Muslim students eating in a shower room were circulated online, with some parents claiming that their children were being made to eat there during the fasting month.

The headmaster Mohamad Nasir was then told to go on leave for a week pending investigations.

Subsequently however, Kamalanathan said the school had been using the shower room as a makeshift canteen since earlier that year due to renovations at the canteen, and the incident had nothing to do with race nor religion.

Nevertheless, some parents were unhappy with the explanation and the issue remained controversial even after the school’s canteen was reopened.