KOTA KINABALU: A teacher who spoke out about the issue of teacher absenteeism at SMK Taun Gusi, Kota Belud, was threatened with death by the absentee teacher, the High Court heard today.
Nurhaizah Ejab, 39, claimed that the school's English teacher, Mohd Jainal Jamran, verbally threatened her in the Bajau language, saying: "Jogo kam pepataiku kam duang ngan."
"He (Jainal) spoke in the Bajau language, which means 'beware, I'm gonna kill you both.' The word 'both' refers to myself and Ibrahim Jadoon (the school's English teaching assistant)," she said.
Nurhaizah said the threat incident happened at a meeting at the Kota Belud District Education Office (PPD) on Aug 24, 2015.
"I am sure the threat was also heard by other teachers present at the meeting, including the language department head Cikgu Norhana Idek.
"Because that night after the meeting, I got a call from Cikgu Norhana saying she had been informed by the school's clerk that Ibrahim and I should not attend school the next day due to concerns that Jainal would try to harm us.
"I accepted this as advice and warning because I am really scared and worried about our safety," she said when responding to a question from counsel Shireen Sikayun during examination-in-chief.
Nurhaizah was asked why she advised Ibrahim not to attend school the next day after the meeting at PPD.
Nurhaizah was testifying before High Court Judge Datuk Ismail Brahim in the trial of a suit brought by the school's former student, Siti Nafirah Siman, against Jainal, her former English teacher, for failing to teach the subject to her and her classmates for several months in 2015.
In the suit filed on Oct 30, 2018, Siti Nafirah also named the then principal of SMK Taun Gusi, Suid Hanapi, the Kota Belud district education officer, Sabah education director, the education director-general, the education minister, and the government as defendants.
Siti Nafirah was represented by Shireen. Senior federal counsel Jesseca Daimis and federal counsel Mohd Fazriel Fardiansyah Abdul Kadir acted for the defendants.
Sabah Law Society's Women and Children's Rights Sub-Committee chairperson Datin Mary Florence Gomez and counsel Yannik Mohd Annuar held a watching brief for the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
The trial continues.