Siti Nafirah
KOTA KINABALU (May 15): A former secondary school student in Kota Belud, who sued her former English language teacher, told the High Court here on Monday that the teacher attendance book for her class was totally empty for the English language subject since end of February up to a week before her final examination in 2015.
Siti Nafirah Siman, 23, who was testifying before Justice Datuk Ismail Brahim, said that a teacher was supposed to sign at a column inside the teacher attendance book after attending class, but there was no signature of her former English language teacher at all within the said period.
Under examination-in-chief by counsel Shireen Sikayun, who represented Siti Nafirah, she said that the teacher attendance book which also called Buku Kawalan, was kept by the school.
To a question, Siti Nafirah, who is a sales assistant at a mini mart, testified that she did request for the Buku Kawalan and her previous solicitor had applied to get the the book issued to her.
Counsel: Did you receive it through your former solicitor?
Witness: No.
To another question, Siti Nafirah testified that she and her classmates were asked to write essays to say good things about their former English language teacher, whom she referred to as Sir JJ.
“The essay I wrote was not true. My classmates and I were desperate, we need an English language teacher because the final exam is approaching,” testified Siti Nafirah.
She also said that the school’s principal had allegedly said that the essay she was asked to write was an
“Aku Janji” to seek apology from her former English language teacher and to make him teach her class again.
Counsel: Do you know where the Aku Janji letter now?
Witness: I don’t know.
To another question, Siti Nafirah explained that she realized that she needed to take legal action when she was preparing for her SPM examination.
“I had discussed with my friends when we were stressed as we have to divide our times to learn form four English language syllabus and to take extra tuition to cover the syllabus which we did not manage to learn when we were at form four.
“I have three losses that I suffered as a result of my former English language teacher allegedly did not enter class to teach me which were I did not manage to get a better education at that time, I also had to divide my time to learn form four syllabus and at the same time I have to learn form five syllabus,” she said.
Siti Nafirah further explained that her third loss was that she had less opportunity to get a better career after completing school.
Counsel: Do you have anything else to add?
Witness: Yes. I just want to say that all what had happened during that year was just a dream.
Siti Nafirah, whose voice was shaking and in tears, further said that she hoped that her action will make other teachers aware and not to look down on lower classes in school but to give equal education to both lower and upper classes.
In her suit, Siti Nafirah has named Mohd Jainal Jamran, Hj Suid Hj Hanapi (sued in his capacity as principal of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taun Gusi), District Education Officer of Kota Belud, Director of Education Sabah, Director General of Education Malaysia, Minister of Education Malaysia and Government of Malaysia as first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh and eighth defendants respectively.
Siti Nafirah had filed the suit against the first defendant for his alleged failure to teach the English Language subject to her and her classmates during his assigned periods or timetable for the academic year of 2015.
She also sued the other defendants for their alleged failure to take action against the first defendant for allegedly failing to teach her and her classmates.
Senior Federal Counsel Mohd Hafizi Abd Halim and Federal Counsel Mohd Fazriel Fardiansyah Abdul Kadir acted for the defendants.
The trial will resume on May 16.
Earlier, three other former students of the same school also filed a suit against the same English language teacher. The case is fixed for decision on July 18.
Two of the former students, Rusiah Sabdarin and Nur Natasha, were present in court on Monday.