ON THEM, TOO’

television camera footage from the Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association building adjacent to the school.

It was reported that six of the teenagers tested positive for ganja, and police believed that they were high when they committed the crime.

Investigations revealed that the suspects allegedly set off a fire at the school’s hostel on the top floor of the three-storey building following a misunderstanding with some of the students.

Zahid, who is also home minister, said he would meet Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak today to discuss a proposal to set up a special committee to look into regulating religious schools without encroaching on the jurisdiction of state governments.

He said there should be standard safety requirements for religious schools, whether or not they were registered with the state government, to prevent the tragedy at Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah religious school from recurring.

“We will discuss the implementation of suggestions and recommendations submitted by the Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) set up to investigate the fire that killed 27 students of Sekolah Agama Rakyat Taufikiah Khairiah Al-Halimiah, known as Pondok Pak Ya in Yan, Kedah, in 1989.

“We should have learnt the lesson that, under whatever circumstances, suggestions and recommendations from the Pondok Pak Ya RCI should be implemented as prevention is better than cure.”

Zahid said the family institution and community should play a proactive role in tackling drug abuse among youth, adding that 52 per cent of prisoners in the country had a history of drug abuse.