KUALA LUMPUR: Physically assaulting students and forcing them to sleep in the bathroom. Those are the excessive actions of teachers at an unregistered tahfiz school in Selangor over the past few years.
What's even more surprising is that the tahfiz, supposedly supported by a politician from the East Coast, lawyers and medical practitioners, has been found to collect funds from the public under the guise of constructing a mosque which remains unfinished to this day.
Harian Metro has learned that these assaults have been ongoing for over a year, involving senior teachers who were recently arrested by the police.
According to a video shared by sources, the students were seen being kicked, beaten and assaulted by the ustaz while studying, at the end of last year.
The school, known for various religious programmes involving an individual claiming to be a descendant of Prophet Muhammad SAW, is said to lack proper facilities compared to other schools.
"Here, there are over 40 residents aged between 10 and 17 sent by their families to study religion. Instead, the students are subjected to physical abuse by teachers, resulting in injuries and in more severe cases, becoming victims of sexual harassment.
"The victims are afraid to report to the police for fear of retribution and feel they have no choice but to continue staying there due to family issues.
"Some have informed other students about their plight, including those forced to sleep in the bathroom as punishment for infractions. Such incidents should not occur within religious institutions," said a source who lodged a police report regarding the matter.
Meanwhile, a complainant who wished to be identified as Saiful, in his 30s, said the owner of the 0.8-hectare school also has branches in other parts of the country and Morocco.
He said he became aware of something amiss when approached by dissatisfied parents regarding the condition of their children several months ago.
"I was shocked to find out that students here had to endure hunger as they were not provided with adequate food. Furthermore, during a visit by another ustaz, I was informed that the recitation of the Quran by the students here was also incorrect.
"Not only that, but I was informed that some students had been physically assaulted by teachers here, prompting me to report the matter to the Selangor Islamic Religious Department (Jais)," he said.
Meanwhile, Jais director Datuk Mohd Shahzihan Ahmad said they would investigate the matter and review the status of the school.
"Jais will verify the registration of this school," he said.