Truant teacher case: 'I was fair despite kinship with defendant'

A former education director has denied that her familial relationship with the teacher accused of skipping classes for seven months had affected the investigation into the teacher.

Maimunah Suhaibul, who held the position of Sabah state education director in 2018, testified at the Kota Kinabalu High Court this morning that she ordered an investigation into English language teacher Mohd Jainal Jamran.

The instruction was given to the Sabah Education Department’s School Management Section chief assistant director at that time, Muarifin Sufianto Mohchoeri, that year after learning about the lawsuit by the plaintiff through the local newspaper.

She admitted when questioned by the plaintiff’s lawyer Shireen Sikayun that Jainal is her second cousin.

When cross-examined by senior federal counsel Mohd Hafizi Abdul Halim, Maimunah agreed with the statement that she carried out her duties fairly and with integrity despite the kinship she shares with Jainal.

Maimunah is the plaintiff’s seventh witness in the lawsuit against Jainal brought by his former student Siti Nafirah. Jainal is accused of failing to teach classes for seven months at SMK Taun Gusi, Kota Belud, Sabah in 2018.

However, when asked by Shireen, Maimunah said she did not remember anything related to the results of the investigation at the time.

Maimunah said in her testimony that she also does not remember if she instructed the head of the language department Norhanah Ijek and school clerk Jati Sidin to go to Siti’s house to discuss the withdrawal of the lawsuit.

This comes after the testimony of the plaintiff’s fourth witness Norhanah, who admitted to having received instructions from the director of the Sabah Education Department to visit Siti to persuade her to withdraw the case and settle it out of court.

Shireen: I suggest to you that when you found out about this suit in 2018, during the investigation, you ordered Jati Sidin, school clerk and Language Head Department Norhana Ijek to go to Siti Nafirah’s house with the intention of intimidating her and withdraw the lawsuit.

Maimunah: I do not remember.

Shireen: I suggest to you that when Jati Sidin, school clerk, and Language Head Department Norhana Idek, failed to see Siti Nafirah, you instructed other parties not from the department to contact plaintiff Siti Nafirah and her family to intimidate her and withdraw the suit.

Maimunah: I do not agree.

Plaintiff Siti is represented by Shireen, while the defendant is represented by Hafizi with the assistance of federal counsel Fazriel Fardianshah Abdul Kadir.

The trial of the truant teacher case at the Kota Kinabalu High Court before Judge Ismail Brahim will continue on Aug 28. - Mkini