KUALA LUMPUR: Students are allowed to wear appropriate and polite traditional dress when attending cultural and artistic activities in school.
The Education Ministry in a statement today said that it has taken note of the viral issue regarding the wearing of traditional clothing according to race in cultural and artistic activities involving students in schools under the ministry.
"This is based on the Special Circular Letter (SPI) Number 3/1984: Guidelines on Cultural Activities in Schools.
"Referring to the viral issue reported by several news portals, the school involved has taken proactive steps by holding discussions with parent and student representatives.
"Improvements to the organisation of planned activities were also carried out by the school and the resulting issues were resolved," the ministry said.
An investigation was carried out yesterday by the Selangor State Education Department on a school in Selangor that had allegedly prevented students from wearing traditional clothing of other races during a Merdeka celebration.
It was reported that the school did not allow Indian students to wear the sari and ordered the sacred cord on the student's wrist to be removed while attending the celebration, and Chinese students were only allowed to wear cheongsam or hanfu.
Following that, the Education Ministry explained that school students are allowed to wear traditional clothes according to their respective races and traditional clothes of other races.
"Permission is also given to students to wear additional decorations such as bracelets, necklaces and accessories according to the appropriateness of traditional clothing.
"The ministry always encourages the involvement of students in cultural and artistic activities that aim to foster a spirit of unity among the multi-racial community in this country."
