IPOH: A mother is seeking justice after her two sons were allegedly assaulted and bullied in separate incidents at a secondary religious school in Chemor, near here.
Noor Azwani Ahamad, 43, a single mother who runs a practical assessment centre, claimed her 18-year-old son was slapped six times by a teacher during an examination on July 21, resulting in pain and a jaw injury.
She said the alleged incident occurred after a teacher found that the teenager had brought a mobile phone to school.
"My son told me he was slapped six times," she told a press conference here on Monday (Oct 5).
"When he went for a dental examination, the doctor said his jaw had been displaced.
"He could not open his mouth properly and there was a clicking sound whenever he opened it."
Noor Azwani said students had previously been allowed to bring mobile phones to school for academic purposes, including coursework and projects, but claimed that parents were not informed that the permission had been withdrawn.
She alleged that her son who is in Form Six was unable to concentrate during his examination after the incident and subsequently became traumatised.
"I lodged a police report on Aug 4 and made a second report on Oct 4 after I felt that the matter was taking too long.
"The district education office told me during a meeting in August that action would be taken against the teacher, including a possible suspension or transfer.
"However, the teacher is still at the school. He is no longer teaching my son’s class, but I understand that he is still there," she said.
Noor Azwani said her son is scheduled to see a specialist on Wednesday (Oct 7) to determine whether there is any permanent damage to his jaw.
In a separate incident, she claimed that her other son, aged 17, was bullied at the same school's hostel on Aug 5.
According to Noor Azwani, the incident occurred at about 11pm when her son wanted to cut his hair.
She said that a student tried to shave her son bald.
This resulted in a struggle in which her son was punched and hit in the face and neck, she added.
"My son suffered a head injury and bleeding after his head struck a sharp object while trying to defend himself.
"He was left bleeding and in pain. He searched for the warden but initially could not find anyone to help him.
"He eventually found the warden, but I was not informed and my son was allegedly discouraged from calling me," she said.
Noor Azwani said her son subsequently had difficulty sitting for his English examination the following day due to a headache.
She also alleged that the incident was initially treated as a fight, although she maintained that her son had been defending himself after the other student allegedly tried repeatedly to shave his head.
"I have since removed both my sons from the hostel, although they continued attending the same school as they have to sit for their main examinations (STAM and SPM) this year," she said.
She also lodged two police reports over the incident involving her second son.
Asked why she waited until now to call the press conference, Noor Azwani said she decided to do so because no action had been taken against the teacher or the other student.
"I was traumatised. After what happened to my elder son, the incident involving my younger son happened.
"I felt as though everything was upside down. I consulted a lawyer who advised me to lodge the second police report and hold a press conference.
"I hope the authorities will expedite the matter and take appropriate action against both the teacher and the student involved," she said.
She added that she was also considering legal action against the parties involved if the matter was not resolved.
"I just want my children to be safe and for the appropriate action to be taken," she said.
When contacted, Ipoh OCPD Asst Comm Muhammad Najib Hamzah confirmed that the police reports were lodged.
He said investigations were ongoing under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt.
