JOHOR BARU: Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Jauhar, the tahfiz school at the centre of a controversy where an 11-year-old boy died after being allegedly beaten by an assistant warden, has broken its silence.
The school’s principal, Mohamad Afdhaluddin Ismail, said today that they were aware of the background of the main suspect in the case, but had given him a chance as he came recommended by his officers when he was released on parole.
“Yes we knew of his criminal background when we took him in as a staff for the post of assistant warden,” he said.
Afdahluddin said the decision to hire the suspect who hailed from Felda Lok Heng was based on the good recommendation by the prison warden where he was previously imprisoned.
“He was recommended by the prison warden who had evaluated the suspect and he was released earlier on good behaviour.
“He was recommended to work at the madrasah as he had been granted parole based on the personality evaluation by the prison officials,” said Afdhaluddin in a statement today.
The assistant warden was said to have beaten the victim, Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi, and 14 other pupils with a rubber hose on March 24 as punishment.
Police have since arrested the 29-year-old man to facilitate investigation into the matter and the case has been classified as murder.