Malaysian Minister Refutes False Claims of Religious Schools Closures

Malaysian religious affairs officials have firmly denied widespread social media claims that the government ordered the closure of unregistered religious schools in Kedah and Kelantan states. These allegations, which have gained traction online, have been labeled as “false, malicious and defamatory” by Religious Affairs Minister Mohd Na’im Mokhtar.

The controversy erupted in late October when posts began circulating on Facebook and Instagram suggesting religious schools were being targeted for shutdown despite other educational institutions experiencing serious incidents of violence. One viral post claimed: “Rape at school, murder at school, bullying at school, drunkenness at school… In the end, it’s religious schools that get shut down, what a stupid religious affairs minister.”

These posts emerged against a backdrop of recent high-profile incidents of bullying, murder, and sexual assault in Malaysian schools, which have received extensive national media coverage and prompted public concern about student safety.

Minister Mohd Na’im responded swiftly through an official statement on his Facebook page on October 23, categorically rejecting the allegations. “I strongly reject the claims circulating on social media that the Federal Government or my ministry will order the closure of religious schools (pondok) that are unregistered in Kelantan and Kedah,” he wrote. “No order for the closure of the religious school (pondok) has been issued.”

The misinformation appears to have stemmed from a misrepresentation of a limited, isolated incident. While local media did report that the Kelantan Islamic Religious and Malay Customs Council (MAIK) ordered one specific religious boarding school to close temporarily for operating without proper registration, this action did not reflect any broader government policy targeting religious educational institutions across either state.

Adding to the deception, the false posts used an unrelated photograph of Minister Mohd Na’im that was originally published on his official Facebook page in August, when he attended a Quran recitation event in Kuala Lumpur. The image was repurposed with misleading text superimposed above it claiming: “Unregistered religious schools (pondok) in Kelantan and Kedah are expected to be ordered to close.”

Religious schools, particularly traditional Islamic boarding schools known locally as “pondok,” have long played an important role in Malaysia’s educational landscape, especially in the predominantly Muslim northern states of Kedah and Kelantan. These institutions focus on religious education alongside standard academic subjects and serve communities that value traditional Islamic teaching methods.

The minister took the unusual step of demanding a public retraction from one of the Facebook users who initially spread the false claim. On November 4, the user publicly apologized, acknowledging they had disseminated misinformation.

This incident highlights the ongoing challenges Malaysian authorities face in combating misinformation on social media platforms. It also reflects heightened public sensitivities around education policy following several troubling incidents of violence in schools across the country.

As of mid-November, no credible reports have emerged of any government directive to close religious schools in either Kedah or Kelantan states. Education and religious affairs officials continue to monitor all schools to ensure they meet proper registration requirements and safety standards while maintaining Malaysia’s diverse educational options.