Sabah parents laud controversial teacher’s transfer to Islamic school, insist no religious bias

KOTA KINABALU, March 4  — The Christian father whose underaged daughter was purportedly converted to Islam last month applauded today the Sabah Education Department’s swift move to send the Muslim teacher involved to an Islamic religious school.

Jilius Yapoo, whose 16-year-old girl had taken to wearing a headscarf like a Muslim while living in the hostel of SMK Kinarut after reciting the kalimah syahida, said he was happy with the outcome.

“I am relieved that she has been transferred and is now in a Muslim school,” he said in a text message to Malay Mail Online.

The rubber tapper from Kampung Kaiduan, Papar, insisted that the teacher—who is said to have witnessed the declaration—had deprived him of his parental right to determine the faith of his child.

According to the law, a minor’s religion is decided by her parents.

Under religious law, reciting the syahada suffices to make a person Muslim, but not under the constitution, which states that the under-aged child needs her parent’s consent.

At that time, the teacher, a Sabahan native from Tuaran, had already been transferred to SMK Tamparuli late last year.

This is her second transfer within the last four months.

However, she had been receiving harassment phone calls and SMSs since the incident.

Julius still blames the school for failing to inform him of his daughter’s actions after her alleged conversion.

Parent Cholyne Roy Jumin Jimmy, one of many Sabahans who had led an online campaign pushing for the teacher’s transfer, said it would bring ease to the parents and residents in Tamparuli and Tuaran now.

“This is not a religious issue but the teacher was not acting within the law and did not respect the parent. She should not have gone beyond her job scope which is to educate, not other things like this,” the Umno youth member who has relatives in the school told Malay Mail Online when contacted.

State Education Department director Datuk Jame Alip said yesterday that the teacher involved was transferred to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Ahmadshah in Inanam as of this month.

He said it was the best outcome for all parties involved and also served to help calm the situation, while still absolving the teacher of any wrong doing.

The authorities have clarified that the girl in the religious row is still Christian.

However, the issue drew outrage from some Sabahan parents over the conversion they saw as illegal.

These parents took to campaigning against the teacher, even publishing her name and school as they pressed for action.

Penampang MP Darell Leiking, said that the Education department should not absolve the teacher of blame if she had indeed been witness to the “conversion” and infringed on the Federal constitution which places the religion of a minor in his or her guardian’s responsibility.

“If she was the teacher involved when why cover up? What disciplinary action had be (sic) taken for this grave infringement of the rights of the parent?,” he asked.

Jilius is still in the process of transferring four of his children, including the 16 year-old in the centre of the controversy, to another school with a hostel run by Catholics.

It was learnt from the family’s relatives that the four students, from Form one to Form four will be moving to SMK Tun Fuad in Kiulu with the help of an anonymous sponsor.