ALOR SETAR: A group championing the interests of non-Muslim students (Waris Murid-Murid Bukan Islam) have lodged a complaint with the Kedah Education Director that a senior member of the teaching staff at the Sekolah Rendah Kebangsaan Ibrahim directed them to drink water only in the toilet.
This same person was also alleged to have said that in the event they had not brought any water with them to school, they could drink water from the tap there, or “drink their own urine”.
These instructions were allegedly given by the assistant principal, who is also responsible for student affairs, during the school assembly on June 21.
The teacher allegedly said: “Non-Muslim students are reminded not to drink water in class but only in the toilet. If not enough water, drink the piped water or your own urine.”
The errant teacher did not mention the fasting month during the brief speech.
The letter of complaint went on to berate the errant teacher for setting a bad example and having no respect for non-Muslims, both students and teachers, and for harbouring racist attitudes.
The remains of Tanjong Katong Primary School (TKPS) teacher Mohammad Ghazi Mohamed and student Navdeep Singh Jaryal Raj Kumar — the last of the 10 from Singapore who died in the Sabah earthquake to be identified — were flown home yesterday.
Although their remains were identified last week, further DNA tests prevented an earlier return. The 10 were on a trip to Mount Kinabalu when an earthquake struck on June 5.
A funeral was held yesterday for Ghazi at Kampung Siglap Mosque, attended by a large crowd that included Ghazi’s family, friends, colleagues and students. At one point, mourners had to queue to enter the auditorium where his casket was held. Inside the auditorium, a bouquet of white flowers lay on top of Ghazi’s casket. Mourners surrounded the casket, many of them silent in prayer.
Speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the funeral, Education Minister Heng Swee Keat said: “I thank the Malaysian authorities for expediting the work to allow us to bring the bodies of Ghazi and Navdeep earlier than we had expected.”
Among the mourners was TKPS student Isaac Lee, one of Ghazi’s former students. The Primary 3 student said he always looked forward to Ghazi’s physical education classes, describing them as really fun.
A friend of Ghazi, who declined to be named, said the teacher’s passing was “a huge loss to the school”. “There’s hardly anything negative to say about him,” he said. “He was a true, loyal friend who helped you when you were in need.”
Minister for Communications and Information Yaacob Ibrahim, who also attended the funeral, was one of the pallbearers who helped carry Ghazi’s casket into the van that brought the body to Pusara Aman Muslim Cemetery in Lim Chu Kang for burial.
Holding back tears as he spoke to the media, Dr Yaacob, who is also Minister-in-charge of Muslim Affairs, said: “(He was) such a young man whom (according to) the stories you hear was selfless, very dedicated.”
He added: “I suppose the most important thing for us is … to perhaps take his spirit forward. The things that he has done for his schoolkids, for his family — you must find some way to (let his legacy live on).”
Speaking after the burial, Mr Mohd Faizal, one of Ghazi’s colleagues from TKPS, said Ghazi, who leaves behind a wife and three children, was “happy-go-lucky”.
“I never saw him under stress, and it rubbed off on all of us,” said Mr Faizal, 28. “I have lost an elder brother. He was more than a colleague, and that will never change.”
Mr Heng said support would continue to be provided to the family members and students affected by the earthquake. “Our students in Tanjong Katong Primary School are recovering well. They are doing fine, and the principal and school leaders have put up a plan to bring them back to school when school reopens so that they can continue with a normal routine,” he said.
All of us tried to stay positive, hoping that you’ll come home soon. Unfortunately, God loves you more and I’m sure you’re in a much better place now.
Thank you for being the great person that you are. You were always the humble one in the team, yet you played like a superstar. You never fail to encourage me whenever we got the chance to play together.
You will be remembered as a great teacher who not only made an impact in your students’ lives, but one who sacrificed his life to save theirs. Goodbye my friend. May your soul rest in peace.
“Truly, to Allah we belong and truly, to Him we shall return.”
Dearest, dearest Ghazi…
My rock, my sunshine, my partner-in-crime…
Only you can make me dredge up an old unflattering photo of myself and post it for all the world to see.
There are no words to describe the pain I feel right now.
So I shall just say that I love you, so very very much.
Goodbye my dear brother.
Thank you for the great times we’ve had together.
Till we meet again.
“Stop all the clocks, cut off the telephone.
Prevent the dog from barking with a juicy bone,
Silence the pianos and with muffled drum
Bring out the coffin, let the mourners come.
Let aeroplanes circle moaning overhead
Scribbling in the sky the message He is Dead,
Put crêpe bows round the white necks of the public doves,
Let the traffic policemen wear black cotton gloves.
He was my North, my South, my East and West,
My working week and my Sunday rest
My noon, my midnight, my talk, my song;
I thought that love would last forever, I was wrong.
The stars are not wanted now; put out every one,
Pack up the moon and dismantle the sun.
Pour away the ocean and sweep up the wood;
For nothing now can ever come to any good.”
A female teacher who could not bear with the stresses of her job decided to end it all – by slitting her wrists and jumping off the 13th storey of her flat.
The incident took place this morning at 4AM at a HDB flat along Marsiling St 17. The female teacher was identified as 28 year-old Malaysian Luo Pei Wen. She lived alone in a room she rented from her landlady. She had been working as a Mandarin teacher at a local secondary school.
According to her landlady Luo had rented her room for over half a year. Her appearance had become increasingly frail in recent weeks.
“I chatted with her yesterday, she complained that the stress was very great and that she was feeling tired. I didn’t expect her to commit suicide,” the landlady said.
She said that she had brought her eldest daughter shopping when the suicide took place. When she arrived at her block, she realized that someone had committed suicide but did not suspect that it was Luo.
When she returned home, she realized that Luo had not left her room and decided to check on her. After knocking her door to no response, they opened the door and realised that there was a large pool of blood. After calling Luo’s school to check if she had gone to work, she realized what had happened.
