Student threatened for ‘liking’ and 'loving' Israel

PETALING JAYA: Some Penang-based students and their teachers have allegedly threatened to boycott a fellow student after the latter "liked" an "I Love Israel" Facebook page. 

Screenshots of an alleged teacher's status showed her and her Facebook friends attacking the student for his online decision. 

"My student likes Israel? I am ashamed," said the teacher in Bahasa Malaysia, who hails from a school in Simpang Ampat. 

Her status update was followed by what appeared to be her fellow teachers attacking the student, with one even calling for him to be torched. 

"... This boy, we boycott only. I as a teacher have never known this student. From now on and after this, boycott, don't be friends of communicate with him," said another alleged teacher in Bahasa. 

This was followed by a comment from another alleged female teacher who said: "We burn him hahaha." 

A family spokesman said the 17-year-old male student had feared for his life, and was afraid to attend school this week. 

"He didn't get any threatening phone calls, but there are a few of his friends telling him that there are guys, who want to whack him up," said the spokesman. 

He said that the student had not actually "liked" the particular Facebook page, and suggested that it might have been "auto-liked". 

He added that other students also found their Facebook accounts "liking" the "I Love Israel" page without their consent. 

He said that both he and the family have just met with the school's senior assistant who promised that action would be taken. 

A report, he said, had also been lodged with the district Education Department. 

A friend of the family spokesman said that the student had lodged a report at the Bandar Tasek Mutiara police station on Monday. 

Attempts to reach the school's senior assistant have been unsuccessful.