KOTA KINABALU – A woman detailed in court how she was pressured to make up for a year of lost studies in facing the SPM examination several years ago in the teacher absenteeism trial today.
Siti Nafirah Siman, 23, a former student of SMK Taun Gusi, said she had to divide her time to study for the Form 4 syllabus while in Form 5 and, as a result, she felt that her chances of getting a good job were reduced.
Siti was about to face her SPM examination when her English teacher, Mohd Jainal Jamran, allegedly skipped classes for seven months in 2015 and for four months between March and November 2017.
Siti said she realised that she needed to take legal action when she was a Form 5 student in 2015.
“My friends and I discussed that we were stressed about having to divide our time to relearn the Form 4 syllabus by ourselves and, at the same time, we had to take extra tuition as we did not get to learn the English subject during Form 4,” she said.
Siti said this while testifying before high court judge Datuk Ismail Brahim. She was the first witness on the first day of the teacher absenteeism trial here today.
Siti has named Jainal, Suid Hanapi (in his capacity as then principal of SMK Taun Gusi), the Kota Belud district education officer, the Sabah education director, the Education Ministry’s director-general, the education minister, and the Malaysian government as the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth defendants respectively in the suit filed on October 30, 2018.
Siti said a “Buku Kawalan Kelas” could prove that the teacher skipped classes during the time, but the book was held by her former school.
The Buku Kawalan Kelas is used to check on teachers’ attendance, as teachers need to leave their initials in the book to prove they were present for lessons.
However, Siti recalled the book was signed by Jainal between January and February 2015 before leaving her class but was left empty at the end of February to March before her final exams.
She said she had requested the Buku Kawalan Kelas from the defendants through her previous solicitors, but she had not yet received it.
Plaintiff breaks down
The counsel asked why Siti had not made a formal complaint against Jainal and Suid, who was the principal of the school at the time.
Siti replied she did not know how to make one.
She also noted she had been instructed by the principal, Suid, to write an “Aku Janji” essay to apologise to Jainal, where she was also told to write “good things” so he would return to class.
She pointed out whatever she had written in the essay was untrue as she was pressured to have an English teacher to guide her as the exam day was nearing.
Siti then broke down when she was asked by her counsel if she had anything to add after being questioned about what she went through.
She said, “What happened to me that year feels like a dream. I hope that what I am doing now will make teachers realise that they should not neglect and look down on those who come from a not-so-smart class. Instead, give them the same level of education like those in the smarter classes.”
The plaintiff was represented by Shireen Sikayun, while senior federal counsel Mohd Hafizi Abd Halim and federal counsel Mohd Fazriel Fardiansyah Abdul Kadir acted for the defendants.
The trial resumes tomorrow at 10am. – The Vibes, May 15, 2023
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