KOTA KINABALU, Feb 8 ― A Sabah PKR lawmaker has demanded that SMK Kinarut take responsibility for the alleged conversion of one of its minors into Islam, saying in the absence of the student’s parents, the school authorities are supposed to stand in as guardians.
Penampang MP Darell Leiking pointed out that many families have no choice but to allow their children to stay in hostels near the school due to the travelling distance from their homes and the unruly road conditions.
Once in the hostels, he said, the school bears the full responsibility of looking out for the children.
“The school must look after the interest of their students first, and keep the sanctity of the family unit intact. After all, they are the official guardians during school hours,” said Leiking.
In the case of Jilius Yapoo’s daughter, the 16-year-old who was living at the school hostel was allegedly made to embrace Islam without her parents’ knowledge.
Leiking said the young girl had no choice but to stay at the hostel as her family home is a gruelling 15km ride away on gravel roads.
The young girl’s “Islamisation”, he said, was an abuse of her parents’ trust in the school.
Yesterday, Leiking met with Jilius, the 46-year-old rubber tapper who had earlier lodged a police report against the school after learning of his daughter’s forced conversion.
A staunch Christian dusun, Jilius said his first encounter with his teenage daughter in a tudung earlier this week had reduced him to tears.
On Thursday, Malay Mail Online reported that authorities are investigating the “Islamisation” of a Christian student in SMK Kinarut near here by the school hostel’s warden.
It is believed that the school’s former hostel warden had incited the conversion of the student with the recital of the shahada, the Islamic declaration of belief, forcing her to embrace Islam despite being “underaged”.
Until today, the parents are still left in the dark as to whether their child’s conversion has been formalised.
“The school has not respected the sanctity of family by not facilitating a meeting between the parents and the child till today.
“By this juncture, they should’ve initiated a special meet between the parents and the child, and also given a clear picture of what transpired so that they can determine whether or not a conversion happened and whether any laws have been breached,” said Leiking.
Leiking said that while freedom of religion should be upheld, this case involves a minor and the law should take into consideration the fact that she did not have her parent’s consent.
“There should not be any enticement to convert to another religion in schools, which is an institution for learning. If there should be any doubts or possibility of a conversion, the parents must be notified first.
“The hostel cannot abuse this trust,” he said.
Leiking said there must be clear laws that define whether or a conversion of a minor is valid without permission from the child’s guardian.
“I can only imagine how many similar cases like this are happening or have happened all over Sabah,” he said, adding that he will look into the legality of the case and whether there was a breach of law.
Police have said the case was being referred to the state religious authorities for further action.
State Education Department director Datuk Jame Alip when contacted said that the matter was with the police and declined further comment.
Christian groups in Sabah have recently cried foul over alleged furtive attempts to convert Bumiputera followers of the faith to Islam.
In January 2014, a group of indigenous Sabahan villagers from the remote Pitas district were reportedly deceived into embracing Islam for RM100 by a Muslim welfare group.
Sabah Council of Churches as well as the Roman Catholic Church of Sabah had also complained officially to the Education Ministry last year of a covert ploy to convert under-aged Christian students at the residential Labuan Matriculation College to Islam.
