Instead, the ministry said the workshop held at a hotel in Johor Bahru had been split into two separate sessions to avoid disturbing SPM candidates from the SMK Infant Jesus Convent who were celebrating the Chinese New Year. The workshop had caused a stir on social media after it was alleged that non-Muslim students at the all-girls school were intentionally left out of the programme.

In a statement responding to the controversy, the Education Ministry said the workshop was meant for all races.  However, the ministry's explanation does not match a purported explanation by the school's headmaster as was shared by social media.

Twitter user Anne Louis, who brought the matter to light, claimed initially that the workshop was held just for Muslim students under the guise of it only covering Islamic Studies. She alleged it was only discovered later that other SPM subjects, such as Chemistry and Additional Mathematics, were also covered in the workshop.

She said disgruntled parents in the PTA then confronted the headmaster on WhatsApp, and were allegedly told in response that as a high-performing school, an intervention was needed to help some 40 Malay students who were at risk of failing their SPM examinations.  There was no mention of a second workshop for non-Malay students being held, or that the workshop would be split into two sessions to avoid disturbing students who were celebrating Chinese New Year.

‘Injustice will sow discontent’

Prior to the Education Ministry's explanation on the matter, Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim said that the alleged actions of the school of denying non-Muslims to attend the workshop contradicted the principles of ihsan (compassion) and justice in Madani Malaysia.

just an ordinary guy : The way MOE handled this situation reeks of incompetence. You can’t just lie your way out of this. There are documented WhatsApp conversations. Anwar, are you sure the education and home ministers are qualified for their jobs? They seem to be out of their depth in crisis management.

MS : Lying comes so easily to this lot. Remember 1MDB and the Arab donation fairy tale? More recently, remember seeing "bribe" dressed up as "charity"? Anyway this is reformasi in action with a ABIM acolyte leading the charge.

Expect more from where this came from. Saudara Al Madani's only regret is that this blatant segregation has been exposed. Shame on you Fahmi Fadzil, Rafizi Ramli, Mat Sabu, Saifudin Nasution and the lot who deceived gullible Malaysians into thinking that Keadilan means justice.

New beginning : MOE doing damage control by lying! This incident must be thoroughly investigated. If found to be true, the racist headmaster must be removed from the job. He/she is sowing a dangerous elements of racism in school where student are suppose to be taught the spirit of Masyarakat Madani

MS : "The PM should intervene ?" The PM is behind this. His proxy is the ABIM Representative posing as Minister of Education.

IndigoHare5387 : Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, this is the second time you and your ministry have spoken up so fast in apparent defence of teachers and the system that be. First, issuing statements ASAP shouldn't be your modus operandi.

Instead issuing statements that heed or at least consider the perspective all stakeholders, i.e., parent groups, teachers, students etc, should be the way to go. Second, you have been elected under the banner of 'Reformsi', so where are your efforts of taking genuine strides at dismantling and reconstructing our dying education system?

The fact that many netizens are already decrying elements of racism here - while racism may or may not be true in your eyes Fadhlina, you cannot deny that the fact that many feel this issue stinks of racism speaks volumes about the racism that plagues our system. Have you heard the phrase no smoke without fire?

Are you now going to take the opportunity here to show how serious you are about tackling racism in our education system? It is now strike two. We are patient but we are watching you. Remember who put you in your place of power: we are of many races and not just one.

MS : Other than the eerie silence from the Palace despite the loud buzz around JB and the disgust openly expressed by Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Abdul Karim, we must also note the "buat ta'tahu" silence from the following DAP champions of justice, transparency and equal treatment for all Antony Loke Hannah Yeoh Sivakumar Gobind Singh Syahredzan Johan Dyana Sofya Mohd Daud Will they continue their stance of "see no evil, hear no evil" even as the Sheikh and his harem of handpicked ABIMinisters run riot with their indoctrination agenda?

Is this, in their considered opinion, the price non-Malays have to pay for the Sheikh's "unity" with Zahid UltraKirana...and the security of their positions?

Travis Bickle : "The Education Ministry has denied that an overnight SPM workshop in Johor recently was discriminatory" Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek are you covering up and whitewashing a blatantly racist act? If you are, then you are complicit in that disgusting racism and shame on you.

Vijay47 : Staring at this issue head-on, one would think it is shameful discrimination against the non-Malays, something that offers Malays an unfair advantage in the examination to come soon. Which of course it is.

But if we take a step back and look at the matter from a wider perspective, we realize that it is a far worse tragedy. Fortunately or otherwise, it is a tragedy for the Malays. Heaped upon them by the Malays. We are witnessing the continuing destruction of an entire race.

Those who organized the special classes may regard it as a big boon to the Malay students. Far from it. They are actually teaching the Malay students that they are incapable, that they have no ability within themselves to stand up proudly and compete with the other races, that the only way they can survive despite the frenzied waving of ketuanan is through the hand-outs they receive generously and the crutches that have replaced their limbs.

When tickets to the gravy train are freely distributed to them, when they are inculcated with the entitlement mentality right from childhood, such acts carried out in dark of night only smother the huge potential that Malay students have in as much abundance as students of any other race.

The Convent organisers refuse to acknowledge that what they and politicians like them do only serve to destroy the pride of their young. The even more harmful feature is that cunningly, religion is stirred into the broth.

MS : To the many Anwaristas out there with their heads buried deeply in the sand: This sickening act of Keadilan steeped discrimination is just a taste of Malaysia Madani and portends what is to come.

When this vile act was first exposed, the ABIM Representative also known as the Minister of Education simply washed her grubby hands off the matter and said it has nothing to do with her and that the State Department of Education will explain. In her demeanor and tone, there was only shock that the crookedness was exposed, no shame, no regret and no promise of action.

I believe Sheikh Anwar Al Madani will put a twist to this denial of culpability by his handpicked ABIM representative and find a quote from Shakespeare to spin his way out..

HangTuahPJ : Ha Ha Ha Ha. This MOE are jokers. These type of Muslim only midnight sessions issuing out exam questions and answers has been going on for a long time.A Varsity in the same state used to do it.

My niece's room-mates who were Malay muslims informed her after they came back from their midnight sessions at the Varsity Surau and were made to swear that they will not reveal it prior to exam day about 14 years ago. My niece was so heart broken. So dont come and tell us that it was not unintentional.

I guess it has been going on in many varsities for some time except UITM where all the students are Malays. Shameless. Malaysiakini - dont delete my comment. This has to be brought out into the open to rescue this country's education level going further down the drain.

ANNONYMOUS : The Education Ministry has DENIED!!! that an overnight SPM workshop in Johor recently was discriminatory after it was alleged that only Muslim students were invited to take part.

THE SO-CALLED EDUCATION MINISTER MUST BE SACKED FOR PROMOTING APARTHEID SYSTEM!!! The EDUCATION MINISTRY said the workshop held at a hotel ............ to avoid disturbing SPM candidates from the SMK Infant Jesus Convent who were celebrating the Chinese New Year.

The fact that the session was held exactly in the days of eve of CNY speaks volumes of their evil intention!! Than why are the poor Indians / non-Chinese students not celebrating CNY also discriminated and not invited for the workshop????????????

A shameless blatant lie & outright racism and discrimination against the minorities!!! THE SO-CALLED EDUCATION MINISTER MUST BE SACKED FOR PROMOTING APARTHEID SYSTEM!!! 60 years of the same old SOS and heinous abuse of human rights and discriminstion promoted even in schools!! Where is Mr Madani & Rafizi, DAP, Amanah only preaching their crap empty slogan?????!

Vijay47 : As though the very holding of such a secret coaching session were not bad enough, the Ministry of Education’s desperate attempt at painting it white is shameful to the extreme. From whatever conceivable perspective one looks at it, there is simply no justification for the special classes.

Perhaps MoE could clarify the following considerations:

1. If the intent was to “to avoid disruption to candidates who are preparing to celebrate the Chinese New Year” why was it conducted during the CNY holidays in the first place?

2. Even if this reason were accepted, were other non-Chinese students like Indians, East Malaysians, or Eurasians able to attend? Was any student of a race other than Malay included?

3. Were the Chinese students given the option to attend? Wouldn’t that have been a decision for them and their parents to make?

4. Why was the session covertly undertaken in a hotel? Why was it not done openly in the school premises itself? To make sure it remained secret?

5. If Malay was one of the subjects being covered, would it not have been more appropriate for non-Malays also to attend as it can be expected that generally they would be weaker in the subject?

6. If a student had performed poorly throughout the year, of what benefit would a one-day teaching session be? Of course great success could have been achieved had only certain specific questions and their answers been presented.

7. Why were the students who attended apparently asked to take an oath of secrecy?