KUANTAN: The Pahang police have stepped up monitoring at all religious study centres, including tahfiz schools to prevent incidents of student abuse.
Pahang police chief Datuk Mohd Zakaria Ahmad said the monitoring also involved unregistered tahfiz centres because the wellbeing of students there needed to be protected as well.
He said they would also work closely with the Pahang Islamic Religious Department (JAIP) in this effort.
“Parents and students are also advised to report directly to the police if there are misconduct or abuse cases at their schools. They shouldn’t be afraid as we will investigate every complaint,” he told reporters after flagging off Pahang Police Chief Community Convoy in conjunction with the 212th Police Day celebration at Alor Akar Police Logistics Complex, here today.
Meanwhile, Mohd Zakaria said the police were still trying to locate the 46-year-old suspect known as Ustaz Zainal Abidin, to assist in the investigation into an abuse case involving two male students at an unregistered tahfiz school in Jaya Gading, here on March 15.
The man, who was said to be the only teacher at the tahfiz school, was alleged to have caned, slapped and kissed the lips of two boys, aged nine and 11.
The suspect has two previous records related to child abuse committed in Gedek, Malacca, in 2013, and in Bachok, Kelantan, in 2016. — Bernama
