The Malaysian Insight

ONE week after losing their children in the tahfiz school fire, the families of more than 10 victims have banded together to seek justice for their loved ones.

While the police have acted swiftly to detain seven suspects for arson, the owners of Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah have kept mum on some of the allegations regarding the school’s safety records.

Among the allegations are that the school began operations without permits and a CCC (certificate of completion and compliance) and did not have sufficient escape routes in case of a fire.

Now the families are demanding answers. They told The Malaysian Insight yesterday they have agreed to appoint a lawyer to deal with the school’s management.

Nor Azizan Abdul Aziz, who lost his 16-year-old son in the fire, wants the full story from the principal, Mohd Zahid Mahmood.

“He should at least give us information on what’s happening.

“Nobody from the school has come to see us yet. We are lost and confused. Even if they are not allowed by the police to give any public statement, the school authorities should at least inform the families about what is happening.

“Although we have appointed a lawyer, we don’t plan to sue the school. We just want to get justice and claim our rights,” said Nor Azizan after a closed-door briefing with lawyers yesterday.

Not a sen so far

Nor Azizan, whose son, Muhammad Taufik Hidayat, died in the fire, said the families have not received any contribution from the tahfiz school yet.

“(Until now) there has been no information. We are not eyeing the donations but we do want to know how the contributions will be distributed.

“People are sad and have donated because pupils have died and not because the building was burnt. Some donors have asked for the next-of-kin and we have given some names.

“It’s not that we want the money but it will at least help with the expenses we have had to incur, such as for the burial and other things. We also want to ask Zahid about the gravestones and such. But there has been no news yet,” said Nor Azizan.

Zahid told The Star Online yesterday that the school has collected RM1 million so far and plans to give all the donations to the families and victims of the fire.

Another parent, Burhan Abdul Manan, whose son Danial, survived the fire said he was disappointed with how the matter has been handled.

“When the fire happened, the school management did not even inform the families that the school was burnt. My son called me to tell me this, using someone else’s phone.

“To date, the school has not called the parents and guardians of the children who survived the fire to tell them of the developments. This is already the seventh day since the tragedy.

“My son is now traumatised. And I don’t know how he is going to further his studies after this,” he told The Malaysian Insight.

One mother, who lost one of her sons in the tragedy, questioned the safety features of the building.

“The building seems to have no safety features, security or fire extinguishers. They did not seem to care for the pupils.

“I cannot bear to look at the burnt building or read the news any more. My son is also traumatised,” said the woman, who declined to give her name.

Director-general of the fire and rescue department Wan Mohd Nor Ibrahim said the fire at the Kg Datuk Keramat tahfiz school was started with petrol.

Petrol was poured on the door, towel racks, shoe racks and the connecting walls near the door to the hostel on the third floor.

The fire claimed the lives of 21 pupils and two wardens. – September 22, 2017.