PENAMPANG: The High Court here will this month hear two cases involving absenteeism of an English teacher at a Sabah school here.
Former SMK Taun Gusi Gusi in the northern Kota Belud district student Siti Nafirah Siman initiated the first lawsuit on Oct 16, 2018.
Siti Nafirah who is 22 years old now, named the teacher Mohd Jainal Jamrin, Hj Suid Hj Hanapi (in his capacity as principal of the SMK Taun Gusi), Kota Belud District Education Officer, Sabah Education Director, Director General of Education Malaysia, Minister of Education Malaysia and Government of Malaysia as the defendants.
Among others, she claimed that the teacher had failed to turn up in class to teach the subject for seven months in 2015 while the other defendants took no reasonable action despite being notified of the matter.
Siti Nafirah at a press conference today said the hearing was scheduled to take place from Sept 12 to 15, almost four years after she filed the case.
The second lawsuit was filed by other former students of SMK Taun Gusi against the same teacher in November 2020.
Rusiah Sabdarin, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali and Calvina Angayung, who are now 21 years old, also named the principal, the Education director-general, the Education Minister and the Federal government as the second, third and fourth defendants respectively.
"We are the second batch of High Court plaintiffs that summoned the Ministry of Education in public interest litigation against the (alleged) 'guru ponteng'.
"Our trial will start on Sept 5 (Monday), almost two years after being filed," said Rusiah.
She alleged that the teacher was absent for four months in 2017.
The trio also said that a restraining order was also obtained to refrain the defendants from approaching, interfering, harassing, disturbing, and/or coercing any of the plaintiffs or their family members.
"The injunction order will last the duration of the legal proceedings."
The four plaintiffs were represented by counsel Roxana Jamaludin, Shireen Sikayun, Jubili Anilik and Dominic J Omok.