Back in 2018, a student named Siti Nafirah Siman has filed a lawsuit against her English teacher for failing to show up for classes after she had graduated from high school. As the Covid-19 pandemic put a halt to everything, her cases was also left hanging since 2020 but according to local newspaper New Straits Time, trial dates have been fixed from May 15 to May 19 with Datuk Ismail Ibrahim as judge.
Formal school student files lawsuit against teacher who failed to conduct classes 7 months consecutively
Siri Nafirah who is now 23 years old and a housewife has revealed that during her schooling days, her English teacher had failed to show up to classes for up to 7 months in a row. This action has subsequently caused her and a few of her classmates to fail the subject during their SPM examinations.
In an attempt to seek justice, Siti Nafirah has decided to file a lawsuit against her formal English teacher, Mohd Jainal Jamrin, her formal principal, Suid Hanapi, the Sabah Education Director, the Kota Belud District Education Office, the Director General of Education Malaysia, the education minister, and the government as the defendants.
Source: Tiada.Guru Campaign
Multiple reports but no actions taken
Prior to filing a lawsuit, Siti Nafirah has shared that she has made multiple attempts to report the matter to the authorities but none of them have taken proper action to resolve her issue. Reported by Sabah publication, Daily Express, Siti had claimed that her school principal had tried to protect her teacher by fabricating the said teacher’s attendance.
She further claimed that visitations were made by the officers from the education ministry and was adamant that some of the officers were aware of the situation she was facing but denied knowledge of the teacher’s behaviour. Siti Nafirah is represented by counsel Shireen Sikayun, and is suing the defandants for committing misfeasance in public office, breaching of statutory duties under the Education Act 1996, and violating the constitutional right to receive quality education under the Federal Constitution.
Siti Nafirah claimed her English teacher refused to teach for 7 months in 2015. She filed her summons in 2018.
Her trial will start after 1,650+ days.
2015. 2018. 2023.
Without Siti Nafirah, the stories of thousands of rural Malaysian children will remain untold. #SitiNafirah pic.twitter.com/5jvsyrwspo
— The Tiada.Guru Campaign (@tiadaguru) May 8, 2023
On a similar note, three of her classmates, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali, Calvina Angayung and Rusiah Sabdarin have also filed a separate lawsuit against the same teacher back in November 2020. Siti Nafirah’s case is also backed up by the Tiada.Guru Campaign, an activist group that strives to fight against issues regarding teacher absenteeism in Malaysia.
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