Remember Mohd Thaqif Amin Mohd Gaddafi? His death on 26 April, was the “wake-up” call for Malays who send their children to tahfiz schools, but many parents closed one eye, whilst the authorities looked for a scapegoat. They found one. The rat.
It was established that Thaqif had been severely beaten. His legs had to be amputated. His heart wrenching diary detailed the beating. Anyone reading his daily prayer would have been moved by his plea to God, for his parents to take him home.
In the end, he did return home. In a box. The rat was blamed for causing his death. This is a gross injustice.
The assistant warden who beat him escaped scot-free as did the school, the state religious authority and most important, the man who should have resigned for the failure in duty of care – the Education Minister, Mahdzir Khalid.
They air-brushed what happened to Thaqif. His death is probably considered “case closed.”
The authorities should have closed down all tahfiz schools and only re-open them, when all are properly regulated, their funding checked, their teachers vetted, their teaching methods analysed with a fine tooth comb, their hostels, their kitchens, their recreational activities and their facilities checked.
Sounds like hard work, doesn’t it. Of course it is but can you see any Minister enforcing these strict measures, so until then, let us not be shocked by more deaths and heaven being crowded with little Malay boys, waiting for their parents to join them later.
God’s constant reminder
No parent should have to bury their child. The fire at last night’s tahfiz school was a tragedy waiting to happen.
How many more children do Malay parents want to die unnecessary deaths, before they are outraged enough to fight for their and their childrens’ rights.
Are they more concerned that their child died a martyr and has gone to heaven, and that they too will have reserved their place in heaven for sending their child to a tahfiz school? Many Malay parents believe this and so, the people who caused his death escape punishment
Do Malaysians not care that many people contributed to the deaths? The Ministers and headmaster are now scrambling to cover-up their incompetence.
Children’s lives are worthless
The fire is a serious matter. We have failed to make tahfiz schools accountable. The headmaster, the warden and the owner knew that the school was operating illegally.
We close one eye to the abuses, the neglect and incompetence. We deflect criticism by claiming the children are “going to heaven”.
The Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister, Noh Omar, admitted that the tahfiz school that burned did not have a valid permit from the fire and rescue department. The building should not have been occupied.
Why did enforcement fail?
Noh then said that action may not be taken against the school as “they have suffered enough”.
This is how irresponsible POLITICIANS speak.
Noh is only thinking about his own position for GE-14 and does not want to upset his electorate. He is a prime example of a politician using religion to break all the laws and re-write the rules.
In Islam, it is believed that children are a gift from God.
If that is the case, why do parents, and those in authority treat the child’s life as a cheap, worthless commodity?
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