File photo of Islamic students take a class at Madrasah Ad-Diniyyah Al-Bakhriyyah in Kota Baru April 5, 2015. ― Reuters pic

BANGI, Feb 13 — Alleged religious conversions of non-Muslim students in local schools may only be isolated cases and not reflective of the actual situation in Malaysia, deputy minister Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said today.

Asyraf, who is in charge of Islamic affairs, told Malay Mail Online incidents which are not “really representing the majority and representing the real situation of the country” should not be highlighted.

“Like conversion, it’s only a one over 30 million population issue, but we only highlight one out of 30 million. It is an isolated case and it is not good for the country,” the deputy minister said after launching the Malaysian Consultative Council of Islamic Organisation’s headquarters here.

When asked by Malay Mail Online if it was true there is a push for Islamic agenda in schools, Asyraf replied: “No, I don’t think it’s fair for you to claim that agenda.”

The deputy minister in the Prime Minister’s Department however did not elaborate on the isolated cases of alleged conversions.

On Thursday, an Asian Catholic news site said Malaysia’s mission schools are now allegedly facing a push in Islamic agenda with conversions of non-Muslim students said to be taking place.

In the Union of Catholic Asian News (UCAN) report, Sister Rita Chew, who heads the Catholic Church’s Archdiocese of Kota Kinabalu’s education commission, spoke of her concern regarding the push by “some people” for Islamic influence in schools starting from kindergarten.

“This is our chief concern. Conversions are taking place in schools but they (the government) are denying it. It’s happening in the kindergartens. Christian parents are discovering their children are learning Islamic prayers,” the nun was quoted saying.

The news site said religious conversions are reportedly taking place in all schools except private schools, and not just mission schools, while also claiming that there is a bias against non-Muslim students at schools.

Chew reportedly said it appeared as if Muslim missionary groups are racing to re-classify Sabah and Sarawak as “Islamic”, allegedly with the government’s approval.

Sabah and Sarawak, where Christians traditionally form a sizeable part of the population, are where half of Malaysia’s mission schools are located.

Out of the 448 Christian and mission schools in Malaysia, 130 and 98 are in Sarawak and Sabah respectively.