Suits against teacher for being absent in class will start Sept 12

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From left to right: Calvina, Nur Natasha, Rusiah and Siti Nafirah.

PENAMPANG (Sept 2): The two lawsuits filed by four former secondary school students against their English teacher in Kota Belud for being absent in class will be heard in the High Court near here starting next week.

One of the former SMK Taun Gusi students, Siti Nafirah Siman, now 22, was the first to initiate the lawsuit on 16 October, 2018, alleging that her English teacher did not enter class for seven months in 2015.

She also claimed that the other defendants took no reasonable actions after they were notified.

Speaking to reporters at a press conference held at the Pacos Trust in Kg Kivatu, Siti Nafirah said that she had summoned seven defendants at the Ministry of Education consisting of the teacher Mohd Jainal Jamrin, Hj Suid Hj Hanapi (principal of SMK Taun Gusi), Kota Belud District Education Officer, Sabah Education Director, Director General of Education Malaysia, Minister of Education Malaysia and Government of Malaysia as the defendants.

Siti Nafirah’s case will be heard at the High Court here beginning September 12.

She claimed that she waited almost four years after filing the case and stated that one of her reasons for filing the case was because she wanted students’ education to be prioritised.

“I want to open the eyes of school administrators, parents, teachers and students. We must prioritise our education and there is nothing more basic to a quality education than teachers that enter classes,” she said.

Meanwhile, the second lawsuit is filed by Rusiah Sabdarin, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali and Calvina Angayung, against the same teacher.

Rusiah, Nur Natasha and Calvina, who are now 21 years old, are also ex-SMK Taun Gusi students.

“Our trial will start on 5 September 2022, almost two years after being filed,” said Calvina.

She added that they are summoning five defendants to the High Court consisting of the teacher, the principal, the Director-General of Education, the Minister of Education and the Federal Government.

Calvina claimed that their English teacher did not enter their class for over four months in 2017.

“We are determined to be the last generation to suffer this problem,” Calvina said on the reasons they started the litigation.

She added that they were also inspired by Siti Nafirah.

The four plaintiffs were represented by counsels Roxana Jamaludin, Shireen Sikayun, Jubili Anilik and Dominic J Omok.