Student’s father denies sue threat against Cikgu Azizan

PETALING JAYA:

There is no truth to reports that the family of the student alleged to have been assaulted by a teacher in Negeri Sembilan, plan to sue the teacher after the court had discharged the case without acquittal.

This is according to the boy’s father, who attributed reports that they will be suing the teacher to a misunderstanding by reporters who had interviewed his wife (the student’s mother), New Straits Times reported.

Yesterday, Azizan Manap, who was initially referred to as “Cikgu Azizan”, was discharged without being acquitted at the Seremban magistrate’s court.

Magistrate Mohd Zaki Abdul Rahman also ordered the return of the RM500 bail, fixed to secure Azizan’s release.

Azizan was accused of having assaulted the student at Sekolah Kebangsaan Taman Semarak, Nilai, on April 6.

He was charged with voluntarily causing hurt, which carries a jail sentence of up to a year, RM2,000 fine or both.

“We have been put under pressure by the situation. Our focus now is to recover from the trauma the family is facing.

“Proceeding with a civil suit is not in the plans for now,” the boy’s father, who did not wish to be named, told the daily last night.

The family were reportedly feeling weighed down from the criticism directed at them for taking a teacher to court over a disciplinary issue involving their son.

“My family and I have been put under so much pressure since the case was highlighted,” the father had reportedly told NST.

Meanwhile, the parent-teacher association at SK Taman Semarak called for the public and teachers to stop criticising the family for their actions, in lodging a police report and taking Cikgu Azizan to court.

“The student’s father had proceeded with the police report after he was asked to do so by the hospital where his son was taken for treatment.

“He was only following procedure, until the case was brought to court… It wasn’t the student’s father who had sued Cikgu Azizan,” SK Taman Semarak PTA chairman Md Fakarudin Ab Rahman was quoted as saying by NST.

He called for the public to allow the student and his family to put this incident behind them, and not disturb them over the issue.

At the Seremban magistrate’s court yesterday, Azizan turned up accompanied by about 200 supporters, many of whom were teachers who had come in a show of solidarity.

Speaking outside the courthouse after being discharged, Azizan said he forgave the student and his family for dragging him to court.

He also thanked those who had come to support him.