KOTA KINABALU – A petition has been launched urging authorities to provide whistleblower protection to a teacher at SMK Taun Gusi, Kota Belud, who exposed her colleague’s absenteeism in an unprecedented suit won by ex-students recently.
The petition on change.org was started by a former student of the school, Safiah Omar, together with the Tiada.Guru Campaign group, and is addressed to Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission chief Tan Sri Azam Baki.
The petition identifies the teacher in need of protection as Nurhaizah Ejab, who is also named in the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s notes of the trial and as a witness for the plaintiffs in the judgment by justice Leonard David Shim who ruled in the students’ favour against their absent English teacher.
In her petition, Safiah said Nurhaizah was the one who filed a complaint against English teacher Mohd Jainal Jamran for his months of absence at SMK Taun Gusi.
Safiah also recounted Nurhaizah’s testimony in court, where she claimed she received threats and intimidation from her superiors at the school after exposing Jainal’s absenteeism to them.
“In November 2022, my ex-English teacher Nurhaizah testified in the high court. Due to the 15th general election, most media did not report her testimony. She is now a historic Education Ministry whistleblower teacher.
But until now, she has no whistleblower protection. Where are our politicians, police, MACC, and the Education Ministry?” Safiah said in the petition.
Malaysiakini and The Daily Express had reported Nurhaizah’s testimony of the threats she received, including having her car tyres slashed.
Saifah’s online petition was started on May 30 this year, and currently has over 1,200 signatures.
On Tuesday, judge Shim ruled that Jainal, the school’s then principal, the Sabah education director, the Education Ministry director-general, the education minister, and the government of Malaysia to have breached their statutory duty by denying the three plaintiffs their English lessons.
The judge also ordered the defendants to pay RM50,000 to each plaintiff.
The three former students who sued Jainal are Rusiah Sabdarin, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali, and Calvina Angayung, who are all now 22.
In his judgment, Shim noted how Nurhaiza’s complaints about Jainal’s absenteeism to her superiors had fallen on deaf ears, and that she resorted to secretly recording his absences. These recordings were tendered as court evidence which was not challenged during cross-examination, the judge added.
The Vibes has sought to speak with Nurhaizah, but Tiada.Guru Campaign representatives said that the teacher, as a civil servant, would not be authorised to speak to the media and could face further jeopardy. – The Vibes, July 21, 2023
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