The Star Online: Nation
The Star Online: Nation |
- Leaders upset over purported student harassment by teachers
- College student falls to her death
- Hunt is on for abductors of fishermen
| Leaders upset over purported student harassment by teachers Posted: PETALING JAYA: Allegations of student harassment by teachers at SK Seri Pristana of Sungai Buloh, Selangor, must be thoroughly investigated, said Deputy Education Minister P. Kamalanathan. "Such reports, if any, must be investigated to unearth the truth," he said when contacted. The school made headlines when a parent shared photographs of non-Muslim children eating in a changing room that was used as a makeshift canteen during Ramadan, the Muslim fasting month. Since then, three non-Muslim students have already been transferred out of the school by their parents. According to a group of parents, more students are expected to be moved out from the school unless the Government takes a firm stand against the alleged harassment of these children. MCA has also hit out at the school for the alleged maltreatment of students. "Educationists should serve as mentors and caring protectors of children instead of scaring them away from school and education," said MCA publicity chief Datuk Heng Seai Kie. MCA Youth chief Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong criticised the headmaster for allowing police to question its students. "It is very unbecoming to allow students to be questioned by police in what is not even a criminal case," he said. Dr Wee added that although police should do their job when they receive complaints, there was no point in harping on the issue. "The long term repercussions should be taken into account. "If a harmonious environment is not created, it will be difficult for non-Malays to send their children to national schools and this will defeat the Government's purpose," said the former deputy education minister. Meanwhile, the police are urging the public not to link the arrest of a parent of a student at the school with the controversy over the makeshift canteen. According to Sungai Buloh OCPD Supt Junaidi Bujang, these were two separate matters that are being investigated separately. "Police investigated the canteen issue as 19 reports were lodged by members of the public, while four more reports were lodged by school staff," said Supt Junaidi at a press conference at the Sungai Buloh district police headquarters yesterday. He said the arrest of V. Kumancan, 32, was a result of a report lodged by the headmaster after he allegedly uttered threatening words at the school's office. On the questioning of students at the school, Supt Junaidi clarified that police officers interviewed some students as part of investigations, but did not "interrogate" them as claimed by some. Though parents were not present, he added that his officers did not intimidate the students. "We were given permission by the headmaster to interview students and we were given 30 minutes. "We spoke to more than six students in a classroom with other students present, including those who were photographed eating in the room," he added. |
| College student falls to her death Posted: GEORGE TOWN: A 20-year-old college student, believed to be suffering from stress after having to re-sit six exam papers, fell to her death from the 10th floor of a flat in Tanjung Bungah here. Tunku Abdul Rahman College (TARC) accounting student Chew Siew Chin was found sprawled in a pool of blood by residents who alerted the police. It is learnt that Siew Chin, who was from Sungai Petani, Kedah, was alone in the rented flat when the incident happened at about 3am yesterday. Siew Chin's mother Tan Sook Hun, 54, said her daughter had told her when she was home for the Hari Raya break recently that she needed to sit for an exam yesterday morning. "She was her usual self when she came home. She watched her favourite television programmes and studied in her room. "She didn't complain about her studies. If she had told me about her problems, I am sure I could have helped her," said a teary Tan when met at the Penang Hospital mortuary. Siew Chin's father Chew Beng Hooi, 54, said he and his wife never pressured her in her studies. "I only found out she had to re-sit the six papers from my elder daughter. I believe she was stressed from having to re-sit the papers while her friends had all passed," he said. "Siew Chin obtained three As in the SPM and it was her decision to study in Penang." College principal Amos Teoh expressed shock over the incident and urged students with problems in their studies to approach the college for assistance. Those with problems can contact the Befrienders at 04-2815 161 or 04-2811 108 (Penang), 05-5477 933 or 05-5477 955 (Ipoh) and 03-7956 8144 or 03-7956 8145 (Klang Valley). |
| Hunt is on for abductors of fishermen Posted: KOTA KINABALU: Police are hot on the heels of a group of armed gunmen who abducted nine fishermen from Semporna before releasing them several hours later. Sabah police commissioner, Datuk Hamza Taib said a massive search has been mounted by the Marine Police, the Police Field Force and the Malaysia Maritime Enforcement Agency. He said the police were also trying to determine where the gunmen came from. In the incident near Pulau Mabul, off Semporna in Sabah's east coast, a fisherman was hauling in his catch when the gunmen in a speedboat ordered him to board their vessel at about 6.30pm on Tuesday. Garbed in dark clothes and armed with shotguns and pistols, the gunmen numbering about 20 told the fisherman to guide them towards Pulau Mabul, which is home to several resorts. On approaching the island, the gunmen spotted some red lights on the shore and the fisherman told them those might indicate the location of a resort. As they got close, however, the gunmen realised it was a military camp and quickly turned their vessel towards Filipino waters. The gunmen later spotted another fishing boat with eight men on board, and abducted them too. One of the gunmen asked the nine fishermen what their race and religion were and when told that they were all Suluk and Muslims, the gunmen brought them close to another fishing vessel and ordered them to jump into the sea. The fishermen then swam towards the fishing vessel and reported the incident to the police in Semporna. According to Sabah criminal investigation department chief Senior Asst Comm Omar Mammah, it was likely the gunmen released the fishermen as they realised they could not get any ransom from them. "Based on accounts given by the fishermen, we believe the gunmen felt the fishermen were like kin as they were also from the Suluk community," said Omar, who added that the police were still trying to determine the types of weapons used by the gunmen. However, Eastern Sabah Security Command (ESSCOM) director-general Datuk Mohamad Mantek denied that it was a kidnapping case. "They (the fishermen) were not kidnapped but detained and released within 24 hours. Nothing untoward happened," he said when interviewed by Bernama. He also said that the group had no links to the Sulu army. In April 2000, 21 foreign tourists and Malaysian workers were kidnapped from a resort in Pulau Sipadan before being released six months later in southern Philippines. Shortly after that, three Malaysian resort workers were abducted from Pulau Pandanan and released after a shootout between Abu Sayyaf gunmen and the Philippines military on Jolo island. |
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