It is with disconcerting surprise I note that the headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Seri Mega has forbidden non-Muslim students - constituting 60 percent of the student population - from bringing non-halal food to school or using canteen utensils for such food ostensibly '... in order to respect Islam as the official religion of the country and to respect the school's canteen operator'.

If students are not allowed to bring non-halal food to eat in the school canteen during school intervals/break, are they expected to eat outside the canteen, on the school grounds and on rainy days in the classrooms. That is, if they not expected to eat only halal food during school time.

If the Muslim canteen operator has complained about students eating non-halal food in the canteen, is the headmaster going to build another non-halal canteen to be operated by a non- Muslim operator to solve the problem?

In 1987, the Malaysian government approved the setting up of Vision Schools as a way to fight social polarisation in schools and to foster racial harmony and promote integration amongst school children with Chinese, Tamil and national-type schools being housed in one complex.

Is this policy directive by headmaster Zainal Abidin Senapi correct and conducive to national integration and consistent with the stated avowed objectives of the Malaysian government through its Visions Schools concept?

Under the Federal Constitution, Islam may be the official religion of the country but other religions are also allowed in this multiracial and multi-cultural country. There must be respect for all religions and mutual tolerance - values which every prime minister since the Tunku Abdul Rahman has affirmed and exhorted since the nation's independence.

Schoolchildren are only children and need to eat their food during intervals in a proper place like in a canteen (designated for eating) rather huddle in nooks and corners of the school building.

Eating of non-halal food in itself is not intended to be disrespectful to the official religion or to a Muslim canteen operator. Many Hindus and Buddhists do not eat beef for religious reasons. Does this mean that if a canteen serves beef, it is disrespectful to Hindus and Buddhists?

Since beef is 'non-halal' to Buddhists and Hindus (with due respect to them) shouldn't beef, too, be prohibited from being served in school canteens as well? Or is respect not equal?

What is sauce (or non-sauce) for the goose ought to be sauce (or non-sauce) for the gander too. One has to be fair and tolerant if extremist and intolerant attitudes are not to be inculcated in our schoolchildren. If intolerance is allowed, there is no end to it.

Just to stretch the argument for consistency, if for example non-Muslim children cannot eat non- halal food or use halal utensils in schools, is there a difference if they have already eaten non- halal food at home, and with morsels of non-hahal food in their mouths or between their teeth, later use halal utensils at the school canteen?

Are they supposes to brush, floss and rinse their teeth before they go to school to make sure they don't taint the halal forks, spoons and utensils? Or are they supposed not to eat non-halal food at home as well?