Non-Muslim students have been urged to avoid eating and drinking in front of Muslim schoolmates during the fasting month.

This was conveyed by Deputy Education Minister Mary Yap in a text message to Malaysiakini .

"Out of respect to our Muslim friends, we as non-Muslims can avoid eating or drinking in front of our Muslim friends.

"Non-Muslims need to be show some discretion on this matter during the fasting month," she said.

Yap ( photo ) was responding to a remark reportedly made by a teacher who told non-Muslim students not to drink water in the classroom during Ramadan.

The teacher, who is in charge of student affairs, also allegedly told the pupils that if they didn't have water, they could drink from the taps in the toilet or 'their own urine' instead.

Yap, however, warned teachers to be careful with their statements made during assembly as sometimes they could be misinterpreted and create misunderstanding.

"The remark concerning the urine is uncalled for," she said.

She said the Kedah state education department had already looked into the issue and a special assembly had been held in the school to clarify the matter to the all the pupils.

Counselling for teacher

Meanwhile, Kedah exco member for education Tajul Urus Mat Zain and the district police have said the issue is a case of a misunderstood joke.

Tajul claimed the teacher had actually told non-Muslim students that they could seek their teacher's permission to drink outside the classroom and out of sight of their Muslim classmates who are fasting during the Ramadan month.

 

The teacher then apparently joked that they could also drink from the taps in the toilet and had added "… but don't drink your urine too".

Meanwhile, Yap said the senior teacher who made the urine remark will be reprimanded and counselled.

"Remedial action will be  taken by the headmaster or district education officer in terms of a reprimand and counselling," she added.

Pointed out that netizens called for a sedition probe against the teacher, Yap appeared to disagree.

"I would not want to politicise the statement at all," she said.

"When students make unbecoming statements, we take corrective action to help them to further improve areas of weakness.

"The same principle goes for teachers or anyone for that matter and this is what education is all about. We help and correct constructively," she replied.