NIBONG TEBAL: All quarters have been urged to cease manipulating any issue related to donations for schools and its related programmes because these matters have been resolved in the Cabinet.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said her ministry respects the Cabinet's decision to maintain the existing guidelines, and she hopes there will be no further issues arising from this.
"I believe this issue (organising programmes and the distribution donations to schools) has been resolved, and we stand by the Cabinet's decision.
"Therefore, I hope it will no longer be an issue and that it will not be manipulated by any party.
"This is because it is now time for us to focus on more critical education development issues," she told eporters after launching the Fifa Football For Schools Programme and the Fifa Women's Football Campaign at SK Tasek Permai here today.
Also present was Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) deputy president Datuk S. Sivasundaram.
The media had previously quoted DAP chairman Lim Guan Eng as reminding Fadhlina not to align herself with Pas and Umno Youth on the issue of fundraising activities for Chinese education, emphasising that she is not an education minister from Pas.
This followed the Education Ministry's announcement that the Cabinet decided to maintain existing guidelines regarding the organisation of programmes and distribution of school donations.
The ministry had said fundraising activities in schools must not display or promote alcoholic beverages within school premises.
At the same time, the ministry had informed that the Cabinet meeting also decided to consider allowing vernacular schools to receive donations through their Board of Governors and foundations.
Activities involving alcoholic beverage brands, however, should not involve Muslim students.
The issue of school donations arose following a charity concert at a Chinese school in Sepang, which reportedly involved sponsorship and donations from an alcoholic beverage company.
The government had also clarified that the charity concert was organised by the school's parent-teacher association (PTA) and the school board.