‘GOVT WON’T CLOSE TAHFIZ SCHOOLS’
They will all be registered under Jakim, says minister
JUNE MOH
KUALA LUMPUR news@nst.com.my
EDUCATION Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid will meet Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department Datuk Seri Jamil Khir Baharom to discuss about the registration of private religious (tahfiz) schools.
Mahdzir said the discussion would focus on several topics, including expediting the registration process of tahfiz schools.
“The government will not close tahfiz schools as suggested by certain quarters. They will be registered under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim),” he said after officiating the Kuala Lumpur International Bookfair 2017 at the Putra World Trade Centre.
On gangsterism in schools, he said students’ involvement in triad activities was not because of the school administration’s failure in addressing the problem.
He said elements that brought about gang activities were the school, parents and the community.
“Gangsterism is caused by the surroundings of a school. Schools should identify students who show interest in gangsterism. “School counsellors will be able to intercept students’ further involvement by working with parents and counselling these students.
“It will be too late to stop them once they’ve become a gang member.”
Mahdzir said the case of the 15-year-old student from Nilai, who was forced to drink poison by his schoolmates, happened outside of the school, thus, it was a police case.
The case is being investigated under Section 328 of the Penal Code for causing hurt with poison ingestion.
No arrest has been made. Malaysia Crime Prevention Foundation (MCPF) senior vicechairman Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye urged schools to reactivate their crime prevention clubs to educate students on the dangers of secret societies.
In response to the arrests of secondary school students believed to be linked to secret societies, Lee said MCPF had, in the past, played a role in setting up the clubs, which involved 6,000 secondary schools nationwide.
“The clubs incorporate programmes to create awareness among students about gangsterism and crime prevention measures.”
He said students who created chaos at SMK Sri Andalas in Klang, Selangor, had insulted the learning institution, which played a huge role in developing human capital and cultivating the country’s future leaders.
He said school administrations must cooperate with the police if they knew that students were involved with secret societies.