KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 7 — A secondary school teacher in Muar has been fined RM4,900 after pleading guilty to injuring four students, including throwing a chair at them, pulling their hair, and stuffing a wad of paper into a student’s mouth.
Harian Metro reported that Mohd Shapril Ahmad admitted to the offences before Magistrate Suzana Mokhtar, who reminded him that teachers should set an example for students, not discipline them in such a manner.
“This is not the way to discipline students. You should set an example for them, but not like this,” she was quoted as saying.
The 39-year-old faced four charges over incidents involving three 14-year-old students, whom he slapped and threw a chair at, as well as another student, whom he struck on the back of the head, pulled by the hair, and forced a wad of paper into the mouth.
The assaults took place in classrooms at a secondary school in the district on November 6 and 13 last year.
For the first three charges, he was prosecuted under Section 323 of the Penal Code, which carries a maximum one-year jail term or a fine of up to RM2,000, or both. The fourth charge, under Section 352, provides for up to three months’ imprisonment or a RM1,000 fine, or both.
The court ruled that he would serve 13 months in jail if he failed to pay the fines.
According to case facts, the students’ parents were alerted to the incidents by the school principal before lodging a police report out of concern for their children’s safety. Investigations found the teacher had assaulted the students while conducting lessons.
Mohd Shapril was arrested on November 14 to assist in the investigation.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Nur Amieerah Alludeen led the prosecution, while the accused was represented by Nurain Sakina Zakri from the National Legal Aid Foundation.
