State education director Ab Aziz Abdullah said pupils from Kampung Penad and Kampung Simpor had not reported to school since the 2016 session began in January.

The parents were worried about their children’s safety, he said.

Last year, five pupils aged between seven and nine, starved to death by a river bank after seven of them had left the school hostel fearing punishment from teachers.

Norieen Yaakob, 11, and Miksudiar Aluj, 12, were found alive, starving and dehydrated on the river banks in the forest.

The other five children who went missing were Ika Ayel, nine, Sasa Sobrie, Haikal Yaakob and Linda Rosli, all aged eight, and Juvina David, seven. Ika, Haikal, Linda and Juvina were later found dead while Sasa has yet to be found.

All the children were from Kampung Gawin and Kampung Penad.

Ab Aziz said the department had fulfilled all demands of the parents who required us to improve safety aspects, by spending more than RM500,000, including building a new fence,” he told reporters after opening the parent-teacher association’s annual meeting yesterday.

The meeting was opened by Tengku Razaleigh Hamzah, MP for Gua Musang, with Galas state assemblyman Ab Aziz Yusof and Gua Musang district police chief Supt Saiful Bahri Abdullah also present.

Ab Aziz said 121 out of 187 pupils had returned to school. The department would conduct programmes in the villages involved to raise awareness among the Orang Asli community on the importance of education for their children.

He also hoped the tragedy which befell the seven Tohoi pupils last year would not prevent parents from providing education for their children.

— BERNAMA