Report bribery bid, ministry urges Orang Asli parents

Deputy Education Minister Puad Zarkashi today urged the parents of the four slapped Orang Asli children to make a formal complaint over claims that teachers had attempted to bribe them to retract a police report on the matter. 

“I have not received any report on the matter. I suggest that the dissatisfied parents lodge a complaint to the ministry so we can investigate. We don’t compromise on such matters.

"What (was alleged to have taken place) is like bribery. One cannot offer cash just like that. In fact, it’s like the teachers are admitting they are at fault. 

"If this can be proven we will taken action against the teachers,” Puad (above, right) said. 

He added that the slapping of students is not allowed by the ministry and disciplinary action can be taken. 

He also urged the Kelantan Education Department to look into the parents’ claim. 

Offer spurned

According to SK Bihai Parent-Teacher Association deputy chairperson Arom Asir, the family of Hassan Achoi was approached by a group of teachers who offered RM300 per child for them to withdraw their police report. 

He said the incident took place at a parent-teacher meeting on Nov 7, but the families have spurned the offer. 

Hassan’s 12-year-old daughter, along with three other Year Six girls - all of them non-Muslims - were slapped last month, purportedly for not reading the doa(Islamic prayer) before a meal.

Deputy Education Minister Wee Ka Siong confirmed that the incident took place. He told the Dewan Rakyat earlier this month that action was under way against the errant teacher. 

According to Section 17 of the Aboriginal People’s Act 1954, no Orang Asli child should be obliged to receive religious teachings, without prior consent from the parents.

Section 17(3) states that any person contravening this faces a fine not exceeding RM500. 

SK Bihai is an exclusively Orang Asli school located in the Gua Musang interior, close to the Kelantan-Perak border.