Photo for illustration purposes only.
KOTA KINABALU (Aug 16): A former language head of a secondary school in Kota Belud testified at the High Court here on Wednesday that it was a mistake when she signed teaching report books from February to August 2015 submitted by an English language teacher who was sued by her former student for allegedly not entering class to teach English language subject.
Subpoenaed witness Nurhana Ijek, 45, who is now the Kota Belud District Education Deputy Director, said in 2015, the English teacher, who is the first defendant, Mohd Jainal Jamran, allegedly did not submit his report books from February to August after the said reports were given to him.
“Then before inspection was held, he then submitted the books and I made the mistake by signing it every week.
“My understanding was that he had prepared the reports for certain weeks but he did not submit them,” she explained when under examination-in-chief by counsel Shireen Sikayun, who represented the sole plaintiff in this suit, Siti Nafirah Siman, 23.
However, the witness, who was giving her oral evidence before Justice Datuk Ismail Brahim, said in 2018 when this suit was filed, she realized the mistake and wanted to correct it because she did not want to cheat.
“I have been honest and made a report to Sabah State Education Department (JPN) that it was a mistake.
“The official from the department had suggested to me to cancel the signature on each of those weeks and replace it with a signature dated in August,” she said.
In her suit, Siti Nafirah had named Mohd Jainal, 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.
To a suggestion, Nurhana agreed that Mohd Jainal’s alleged failure to enter class to teach Siti Nafirah and her classmates was an open secret in the said school in 2015 but it was reported to the principal.
Senior Federal Counsel Mohd Hafizi Abd Halim and Federal Counsel Mohd Fazriel Fardiansyah Abdul Kadir acted for the defendants.
The trial will resume today.
Last month, three former students of the same school won a landmark suit against the eight defendants for violating their constitutional rights to access to education six years ago.
Rusiah Sabdarin, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali and Calvina Angayung, all aged 22, were awarded a total RM150,000 in damages.