SUNGAI PETANI: A private religious school here has denied involvement in an alleged student abuse by one of its teachers.
In a Facebook posting that went viral two days ago, a man had claimed that two boys - his 10-year-old nephew and the boy's friend - were beat up by the school ustaz with a rotan and a piece of wood, leaving red marks on their bodies.
Kuala Muda district police chief Assistant Commissioner Md Zukir Md Isa said a 46-year-old man came forward today to lodge a report denying the school's involvement in the act.
“The man who lodged the report is the son of the school's founder. In his report, he denied the school's involvement in the alleged abuse," he said.
However, Zukir said initial investigations showed that three boys, aged 10, were beaten with a rotan by a replacement ustaz at the school, after the trio tried to run away from the school hostel.
The Facebook posting was shared more than 3,500 times by netizens, most of whom expressed anger over the act.
Zukir said none of the boys’ families had lodged reports over the incident so far.
He said police have only recorded a statement from one of the boys, and will try to obtain statements from the other two.