A whistleblower has testified of a “culture of oppression” against students and teachers of SMK Taun Gusi, Kota Belud, fomenting fear that kept them from voicing out on any issues or problems.
This was according to Nurhaizah Ejab, who appears as the 15th plaintiff witness in the lawsuit by former student Siti Nafirah Siman against her teacher Mohd Jainal Jamran for allegedly failing to show up in class to teach in 2015.
“This is the culture of oppression in the school created by instilling fear of expressing issues and problems faced by the teachers and students of SMK Taun Gusi,” Nurhaizah told the High Court in Kota Kinabalu today.
The witness also claimed that the principal of SMK Taun Gusi at the time, Suid Hanapi, is manipulative.
“The principal knows and is aware of his responsibilities, but this is the feared character of the principal, that he is manipulative and can twist an issue until this problem is turned back against me to be resolved,” explained Nurhaizah.
“This very manipulative nature of the principal can make teachers feel the most foolish, the most useless, the least capable of managing. This happened to teachers like Maria, Hasanah, Fadlina, and Norhana, who cried when the blame was put on them,” she said after being questioned by plaintiff's lawyer Shireen Sikayun.
She added that the principal also made her a scapegoat. During a meeting with the District Education Office, the principal placed the blame on her and accused her of failing to notify about Jainal’s truancy earlier.
She said she was also humiliated by the principal in front of all the teachers by saying that she was a failed head of the committee for the English subject despite receiving an excellence award in 2014.
Siti Nafirah, as the plaintiff, is represented by her lawyer Shireen Sikayun, while the defendant teacher is represented by federal lawyer Fazriel Fardianshah Abdul Kadir.
The hearing before judge Ismail Brahim continues tomorrow. - Mkini
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