JOHOR BARU: Forgiven but not forgotten.
The family of the late Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Ghadaffi, 11, is not blaming the tahfiz school administration for what happened to the boy – nevertheless, they hope that his death was not in vain.
Thaqif's father, businessman Mohd Ghadaffi Mat Karim, 43, said the family reiterates its stand that it does not fault the school for the loss of their loved one – but they seek justice over his death.
"No father would want to send his kids to a learning institution where an ex-convict is around," he said.
Ghadaffi revealed that Thaqif had left notes in his journal seeking for the school administration to treat its students with kindness and dignity.
One of Thaqif’s journal entries, written just before his death, expressed his wish that the hearts of his ‘ustaz' (religious teachers) would soften (towards their pupils).
Ghadaffi said he also hopes that all tahfiz would be more flexible in permitting parents more time with their children when they visit them at their hostels.
"As for me, I had to wait for 40 days after he first entered that school before Visiting Day, which is quite a long time for an 11-year-old. My son had never stayed that long away from his family before," he said.
Thaqif died yesterday at the High Dependency Ward at the Sultan Ismail Hospital, Johor Baru, at 2.05pm, after battling a three week-long illness due to bacterial infection.
The illness forced doctors to amputate both his legs.
Doctors were considering amputating his right arm, but Thafiq succumbed to his condition and passed away, never having emerged from his coma.
His body was laid to rest at the Felda Bukit Aping Timur Muslim cemetery at 12.37am today.