7 year-old at a newly opened but unregistered tahfiz school in Temerloh has died after an assault by fellow students

Student dies after assault in newly opened, unregistered tahfiz school
Nicholas Chung
-November 8, 2019 10:00 AM



The management of tahfiz schools has been questioned in the wake of several high-profile deaths in recent years. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: A seven-year-old student at a newly opened but unregistered tahfiz school in Temerloh has died after an assault by fellow students, in a case that is likely to spark fresh debate on the authorities’ lack of supervision of tahfiz schools following a series of accidents and abuse cases.

Muhammad Aimin Nurul Amin was rushed to a clinic in Lanchang, Temerloh after he was found with bruises on his body including on the shoulder, hip and face. He died on arrival at about 3pm yesterday.

Pahang Criminal Investigation Department chief Othman Nanyan said three 13-year-old students have been arrested as suspects.

“The motive for this incident is believed to be dissatisfaction with the actions of the victim while staying in the dormitory,” he said.





Temerloh police chief Mohd Yusri Othman told FMT that the incident took place at a tahfiz school in Kampung Kuala Kuang, Lanchang, Temerloh.

He said Aimin’s body was sent to Hospital Sultan Ahmad Shah in Temerloh for a post-mortem this morning.

It is understood that the school was opened early this year, but has yet to be registered.

The boy’s death is the latest in a series of incidents which called into question the management of tahfiz schools, two years after a fire at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school in Kuala Lumpur killed 21 children and two teachers.

Five months earlier, the death of 11-year-old Mohamad Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi sparked calls for Putrajaya to tighten control over tahfiz schools nationwide, amid allegations of abuses and unsafe dwellings.

A government forensic report later showed that Thaqif, who was admitted to hospital for leg injuries allegedly sustained after assault with a rubber hose by a warden, had died of leptospirosis.



On Oct 21, a decision by Attorney-General Tommy Thomas not to press charges on suspects for the alleged sexual abuse of a student in a tahfiz school drew criticism from child activists.

The case involved a 10-year-old boy who was allegedly molested by three senior students aged between 12 and 18 at their school in Manjoi, near Ipoh. Thomas said there was insufficient evidence to charge them.