KOTA KINABALU, Dec 21 — All educators, particularly those in tahfiz institutions, have been reminded to exercise greater prudence in educating students, especially in matters related to discipline.

Director of the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department, Datuk Jumain Abdul Ghani, stressed that physical violence is not an appropriate educational method, even when students commit disciplinary offences.

“My advice is that when educating children, if there are mistakes, especially in terms of discipline, proper educational procedures must be followed.

“As an experienced educator, one should give advice in a wise and appropriate manner without resorting to harsh treatment of the students concerned,” he said when met by the media after the Press Conference on the Announcement of the Official Results of the 2025 Lower Religious Certificate and Religious Secondary Certificate Examinations on Thursday.

The press conference was officiated by Minister of Local Government and Housing Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif.

According to him, a teacher at a private tahfiz centre in Telipok, who was alleged to have physically assaulted students outside a cyber café, has been suspended from duty pending a full investigation by the authorities.

“The decision to suspend the teacher was made by the tahfiz management board as an initial step to ensure that investigations can be carried out transparently and comprehensively.

“The tahfiz centre involved is a private institution legally registered with Jheains. However, management and disciplinary action against teaching staff fall under the jurisdiction of the institution’s management board.

“A Jheains team has visited the tahfiz centre and obtained a full report following the viral spread of the issue.

“The main matter given serious attention is the capacity and qualifications of teachers, particularly in cases involving student abuse,” he said.

In the incident that recently went viral, 13 tahfiz students were found at a cyber café late at night. — Daily Express