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Senior assistant Cikgu Azizan is set to stand trial today after he slapped a primary school pupil who he says was sniffing glue, skipping lessons, fighting, and bullying other students.
Cikgu – who was brought into a problem school to tackle unruly behaviour – was later charged with voluntarily causing hurt. He faces up to one year in prison, a RM2,000 fine, or both, if he is convicted.
The case has sparked uproar across Malaysia with many claiming a code of ethics could have protected Cikgu from criminal prosecution.
“When there is no code of ethics, parents can just do what they want and teachers cannot protect themselves,” said Kamarozaman Abd Razak, president of the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP).
Kamarozaman says the NUTP has urged the Education Ministry to introduce a code of ethics in the past but the government has yet to respond to its request.
"We hope that the ministry views this issue seriously as teachers only want to carry out their duties,” he said. “They won’t have any assurance after (this case). If we lose this case, it will be very dispiriting.”
Hundreds of fellow teachers and supporters have shared their plans to attend the trial today and education minister Mahdzir Khalid said he would not oppose the action.
"If the teachers want to gather, or go to court to support their colleague, that is their right, it involves human emotions,” he said.
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