PASIR MAS: The warden of a school hostel allegedly used a hot iron to wake up 11 students to perform the ‘solat subuh’ (dawn prayers) on Oct 12.
In the 6.15am incident, two of the students, Muhammad Al-Hakim Mat Nawi, 16, and his younger brother Muhammad Fairuz, 14, were reported to have suffered burns on their legs and hands as a result of the warden’s action.
Following the incident, the boys’ parents lodged a police report the next day.
When met at their home here yesterday, Muhammad Al-Hakim said the students at the hostel usually woke up at 6am to perform their prayers but that particular day, the 11 of them had overslept.
“I suddenly woke up when I felt a burning sensation on my left leg and saw the warden standing beside me holding a hot iron in his hands,” he said, adding that there were 14 students in all in their dormitory but three of them had got up earlier that day.
He said prior to this, the same warden had used other harsh methods like using the cane, splashing soap-filled water or brushing a broomstick against their faces to wake them up if they did not get up in time for the dawn prayers.
The boys’ mother Siti Fatimah Yusof, 52, said what the warden did was cruel and unacceptable, more so from someone who was supposed to be religious.
Siti Fatimah, who is also a committee member of the school’s Parent-Teacher Association, said she immediately brought the boys home on being informed of what had happened by someone, and expressed disappointment that the school’s management just washed their hands of the matter.
“I don’t care if my children are punished for neglecting their obligations but this is too much.
“To make matters worse the school’s management instead of offering an apology scolded me for making the police report and asked me to withdraw it,” she said, adding that her two boys were so traumatised by the incident that they had become withdrawn.
Pasir Mas police chief, ACP Haliluddin Rahim, who confirmed receiving the report, said the warden concerned was detained for questioning and later released on police bail.
“Investigations are ongoing and the case has been classified under Section 324 of the Penal Code (Voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means),” he said. — Bernama