A RETIRED secondary school history teacher has been ordered to pay RM88,069 in damages after the Kota Bharu High Court found that he assaulted a 14-year-old student by slapping him four times during a classroom lesson seven years ago.
Judge Mohd Rosli Yusoff allowed the civil suit filed by Mohamad Adam Maidin, now 21, through his mother, Noor Azleen Mohamad, 47, against the teacher and three other defendants.
The teacher, Isamuddin Ismail, 63, who was then the school’s senior assistant for administration, was named as the first defendant.
In his ruling, Mohd Rosli found that Isamuddin had physically assaulted the student by slapping his face and both cheeks with his right and left hands from behind.
“The victim was slapped from both sides and the court took into account the doctor’s evidence and several hearing tests conducted on the victim, which proved the injuries he sustained.
“The court also found that as an educator, the teacher had a duty of care towards his students,” he said.
The incident took place at about 10.30am on Jan 28, 2019, when Mohamad Adam was a Form Two student.
He was sitting at his desk with classmates when the teacher approached from behind and slapped him four times. The student subsequently experienced facial and ear pain, dizziness, reduced hearing and ringing in his ears.
His mother took him to Berek 12 Health Clinic before he was referred to Hospital Universiti Sains Malaysia in Kubang Kerian for specialist treatment.
A medical report issued in June 2019 found that he had hearing problems in his right ear, including mild to moderate mixed hearing loss diagnosed as trauma-related injuries believed to have resulted from the slapping.
The incident also left him traumatised and afraid to return to school, prompting his transfer to another school about a month later.
Noor Azleen said she noticed that something was wrong when she picked up her son from school on the day of the incident, as he appeared pale and distressed, with a red face and complaints of headache.
A classmate later informed her that the teacher had slapped her son and urged her to seek medical treatment.
Noor Azleen said her son took about two to three years to recover from the trauma.
“He was afraid to go to school, so I had to transfer him to another school. It was only after about two to three years that I saw him gradually recover,” she said after the ruling.
She said the incident had also left her worried about the safety of other children.
“If children tell you that something has happened at school, parents should investigate. As for teachers, do not use violence or hit areas such as the eyes or ears because the effects can be long-lasting and there is no compensation for that,” she said.
Meanwhile, counsel for the plaintiffs, Mohd Syukran Mohd Noordin, said the court allowed the claim against all four defendants after finding negligence and a duty of responsibility in relation to the incident.
He said the RM88,069 award comprised RM45,000 in general damages, RM569 in special damages, RM11,250 in exemplary damages and RM11,250 in aggravated damages, together with RM20,000 in interest and costs.
The civil suit was filed through Messrs Syukran Noordin in March 2021, about two years after the incident.
The student also named the school principal, the Director-General of Education and the Malaysian Government as defendants.
The defendants were represented by Federal Senior Counsel Siti Syakimah Ibrahim. - August 10, 2026
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