Teachers can support ‘Cikgu Azizan’
KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will not stop teachers from gathering at the Seremban magistrate’s court on Tuesday to lend support to “Cikgu Azizan” who is facing trial for taking disciplinary action against a student.
Its minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid, said the ministry had no objection to the matter as the teachers would be attending the gathering in their individual capacity to support their colleague.
When asked about the criminal charge against Azizan, Mahdzir said the ministry would wait for the trial to be completed.
“It is their (the teachers’) individual rights, so the ministry will not stop them from doing so,” he said after attending the Padang Terap Umno Wanita health screening programme in Kuala Nerang yesterday .
Mahdzir, who is also Padang Terap Umno division chief, was commenting on the statement by the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) that had called for teachers to lend their support to Azizan.
Azizan, who teaches at a public school in Seremban, Negri Sembilan, is facing trial for voluntarily causing hurt to a student.
He was said to have slapped the student, who he claimed had been caught sniffing glue on school grounds and had influenced three other students to do the same.
According to NUTP’s statement, which was uploaded on its website, pendidik2u.my, the student was also alleged to have been involved in truancy and in bullying cases where he had hit other students.
Following the incident, Azizan was charged at the Seremban magistrate’s court on Oct 31. If found guilty, Azizan could face one-year imprisonment, or RM2,000 fine, or both.
It was reported that Azizan had been garnering support on social media. Netizens were said to have called for an online vote to show their support. The hashtag #PrayForCikguAzizan was also making its round on social media.