A SECONDARY school in Batu Pahat, Johor, has reversed an earlier policy on imposing racial and gender restrictions on certain extra-curricular activities after Deputy Education Minister II Mah Hang Soon contacted the state education department about the incident, Malaysiakini reports.

Mah said he contacted the Johor Education Department with the instruction to remove all restrictions, adding that the policy contradicted Malaysia’s education philosophy.

“It was a mistake on the part of the principal. It is through sports that we can encourage integration, students playing together and promote unity, camaraderie and the spirit of togetherness,” he was quoted as saying in the report.

Earlier today, Youth and Sports Minister Reezal Merican Naina Merican also criticised the school for preventing students from taking part in extra-curricular activities based on race.

Reezal said the action of the school is inappropriate and backward, after Twitter user @sharwinsubra05 uploaded a picture of a letter, which contained a list of clubs and associations as well as sports open to one race.

The list stated that Chinese language club is only open to Chinese students, football (Malays), basketball (Chinese), table tennis (Chinese), netball (Malays) and sepak takraw (Malays).

However, SMK Dato’ Bentara Luar principal Abdul Razak Hamid reportedly defended the segregation, saying the move was driven by an apparent lack of space.

Mah said that he had asked the school to change this policy with the warning it shouldn’t happen (again).

“It is against our (national education) blueprint,” Mah added.

He also showed the online portal an updated version of the school’s list of extra-curricular activities, which no longer imposed racial or gender restrictions on any sport. – April 17, 2021.