Deputy Education Minister P Kamalanathan said three other Malay traders had seen their contracts terminated for the same reason.
“I wish to stress here that the issue is not a racial issue as in total, four contractors were terminated based on administrative reasons.
“I contacted the director of the institution and he clarified that four contractors, three Malays and an Indian, were terminated due to non-adherence to the terms of the contract,” he said in a statement today.
Kamalanathan said MIC president Dr S Subramaniam was very concerned about the incident and had put him in charge of investigating the matter.
“MIC will not tolerate any discrimination if the accusation is found to be true.
“Additionally, the institution is aware of the plight of the Indian students studying there and the director himself has committed to resolving this matter immediately,” Kamalanathan said.
A viral message on WhatsApp and Facebook claimed the sole Indian food trader operating at the canteen was let go following the implementation of a “patuh shariah” (shariah-compliant) policy by the institution.