SHAH ALAM, June 16 — The state government today rapped and denied the allegations made by certain parties who attempted to discredit the effort to register private religious schools in Selangor.
State executive councillor for Islamic Religious Affairs, Consumers Affairs, and Halal Industry Mohd Zawawi Ahmad Mughni said the effort, which includes the formulation of the Selangor Private Religious School (Tahfiz Institution) Registration Guidelines in 2019, involved 416 private religious schools and is aimed at raising the quality and status of the institutions.
He said the state government is also disappointed with the malicious accusation that Minister of Local Government Development Nga Kor Ming was the alleged mastermind behind attempts to shut down private religious schools in Selangor.
Instead, the effort was taken following the decree of the Sultan of Selangor Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah Alhaj, who is concerned about the increasing number of unfortunate incidents involving private religious schools in the state, especially after a tragic fire at a tahfiz school in 2018, which claimed 23 lives and injured five students.
Mohd Zawawi added the effort taken by the state government is supported by the Selangor Tahfiz Al-Qu’ran Institutions Association (Pitas) whose members comprised 478 private religious institutions.
“This effort is capable of raising the status of private religious schools and inadvertently benefit the students and parents in Selangor,” he said in a statement earlier today.
— Bernama