The Star, Kuala Lumpur, 7 May 2002

Angry father hits teacher

MALACCA: The father of a 14-year-old schoolboy hit a school's disciplinary teacher with a cane in the staff room in a tit-for-tat retaliation against punishment meted out to his son earlier.

The incident happened at a secondary school in Bukit Baru here at 3pm on Thursday.

The 52-year-old jobless man came to the room with his son and asked why the boy was caned earlier in the morning.

He then grabbed a cane from the table and hit the 41-year-old teacher, as other teachers watched in shock.

Police picked up the man from his house in Batu Berendam the next day. He was later released on police bail.

Utusan Express Online, Kuala Lumpur, 25 May 2002

Five students who assaulted classmate suspended from school, caned

SEREMBAN, May 24 - Five students of Sekolah Menengah [secondary school -- C.F.] Mambau who assaulted a classmate on Monday were suspended from school for a week and caned thrice.

School Principal Maria Noor Yem said the suspension took effect on Wednesday after an internal inquiry was conducted following a complaint lodged by the victim's family.

"The punishment is appropriate with the offence they have committed under the schools' regulations.

"If the students are found to have committed three more offences like threatening other students, acted against teachers and involved in fights, they can be expelled from school," she told reporters after the state-level Teachers' Day celebrations launched by Menteri Besar Tan Sri Mohamed Isa Abdul Samad here today.

In the incident, Mohd Shafiq Abdul Malik, 14, was injured on the back, waist and legs after being attacked by the students in front of the school's surau for refusing to give money to the assailants.

Mohd Shafiq has been warded at the Seremban Hospital since Wednesday as he could not move about and suffered pain in the ribs and waist.

Mohd Shafiq's assailants were Form Two students.

Maria said Mohd Shafiq was a good student and he was purposely assaulted to bully him.

She advised other students to immediately report to the school authorities if they are threatened or assaulted so that the school administrators could take immediate action against the students at fault.

"Students should not be afraid to inform the school authorities so that wrongdoings of indisciplined students can be kept under check besides protecting other students from becoming their victims," he said.

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© Colin Farrell 2002, 2003
Page updated February 2003