TAHFIZ PRINCIPAL KNEW OF ASSISTANT WARDEN’S CRIMINAL BACKGROUND
Suspect was endorsed by prison warden to work at religious institution
ATAHFIZ school, where an 11-year-old boy died after being allegedly beaten, knew about the criminal background of an assistant warden who was arrested in connection with the death.
Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Jauhar principal Mohammad Afdhaluddin Ismail said despite of the 29year-old suspect’s background, the school decided to give him a chance as he had been recommended by his prison officers when he was on parole.
“He was recommended to work at the school by the prison warden.
“He was granted an earlier release of his jail time based on a personality evaluation by the prison officials,” he said on Facebook yesterday.
Afdhaluddin said the tahfiz school management advocated giving employment opportunities for ex-prisoners who had served their time in jail.
A pupil from the school, Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi, 11, died last Wednesday after having his legs amputated following an incident in which the boy and 14 other pupils were allegedly beaten with a hose by an assistant warden at Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Jauhar in Kampung Lukut, Kota Tinggi, on March 24.
Afdhaluddin said the suspect’s alleged act of whipping the pupils with a hose was not condoned by the school, adding that he committed the act on his own.
“We do not condone such corporal punishment here.
“We are not defending what he did or saying it was the right thing to do.
“But the beating incident perceived by all was completely blown out of proportion.”
He hoped the school would not be penalised if it was found that a staff member committed an offence and that the police investigation would wipe out the negative criticism thrown at the school in the last few weeks.
Afdhaluddin said the school’s reputation as one of the best religious schools in Johor was tarnished in the case, but he and the other teachers would not give up in restoring its good name.
He said there were those who called for the school to be closed and that it had received threats.
“The school’s (management) is looking for the right time to give our side of the story.”