Cops bring suspects back to scene at tahfiz
KUALA LUMPUR: The seven suspects in the arson attack at Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz at Kampung Datuk Keramat were brought to the scene by police.
One of the suspects, wearing a face mask and black cap, was escorted by several policemen in a vehicle that arrived at about 2.40pm yesterday.
He was taken to the Taman Tasik Datuk Keramat park area behind the religious school and brought into the tahfiz about 10 minutes later.
Police had cordoned off the school area as well as several roads leading to the lake area about a half an hour earlier.
City CID chief Senior Asst Comm Rusdi Mohd Isa, who arrived later, confirmed that all seven suspects were brought there.
The suspects were taken away in several vehicles at about 4.45pm.
The remand order for the youths, aged between 11 and 18, was extended to Sept 29 after the first one expired last Friday.
At about 5am on Sept 14, a fire on the third floor of the school killed 21 students and two hostel wardens. Several other students escaped by climbing down a pipe.
School principal Mohd Zahid Mahmood has apologised to the families of the victims for not interacting much with them since the fire.
“I sincerely apologise to the families as they may feel offended,” he said, explaining that he was busy assisting police and the fire department in their investigations.
Mohd Zahid said he was also tied up with logistics for the school while his deputy was away to perform the haj.
Some of the staff were still traumatised by the incident, he added.
It was reported that several of the families were unhappy with the school management for not giving any explanation more than a week after the tragedy.
Meanwhile, the counter set up in front of the school to receive aid and donors will only operate until 11pm on Sept 30.
At about 3pm yesterday, National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (Niosh) chairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye visited the school.
He said Niosh planned to develop a safety and work hazards module specifically for tahfiz.