The Malaysian Insight

THE principal of Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah has apologised to the families of the victims for not contacting them since the tahfiz school fire, which claimed 23 lives.

During a closed-door meeting, principal Muhammad Zahid Mahmood told the families that he was too busy taking care of the logistics and aiding police and fire and rescue department in their investigations.

He said the shortage of staff due to the deaths and trauma had worsened the situation. Along with 21 pupils, two wardens also died in the fire. 

Muhammad told The Malaysian Insight some of the staff members were also traumatised by the tragedy.

“Saturday’s meeting was more like the relationship we had before the misunderstanding surfaced. It was more harmonious, peaceful and filled with love.

“(A few) young ustaz are the only ones the tahfiz school has now. Those who really helped me (with the administration) were the two who were killed in the fire. Ustaz Yusof helped me a lot.

“Ustaz Azahari (vice-principal) is away performing his haj. Therefore, I do not have enough time. Sometimes I am needed by the police and other times by the fire department.

“This is why I had no time to interact with the family members of the victims. I have apologised to the families,” he told The Malaysian Insight yesterday.

The Malaysian Insight reported that the family members of the victims had gathered last Friday and agreed to appoint a lawyers to look into the way the tahfiz school was managing the issue.

They said the school had not provided any explanation for the fire, the absence of security at the hostel and the amount of donation it received.

Muhammad asked why the parents only brought up the safety issue now instead of before the tragedy when they were sending their children to the school.

A parent, Burhan Abdul Manan, said he has accepted the principal’s apology.

“He apologised, saying he was busy. Furthermore, some of his staff members are still traumatised and the vice-principal is away.

“Regarding the donation (for the families of victims), he has agreed to it and instructed us to appoint a representative to distribute the money.

“He said he will contact the victims’ families for another meeting by September 30,” said the father of one of the survivors, Danial.

Muhammad met more than 10 families at 9pm on Saturday. The meeting was arranged following complaints that the school management had not contacted them since the fire on September 14. 

Among the issues discussed was the question of distribution of donation. The meeting, however, did not touch on the safety aspects of the building.

“We did not focus on the safety aspect. It was about improving the ties with the members,” said Muhammad, adding that the safety issue of the new building will be explained in the next meeting.

No answers on safety, security

Muhammad, who is also the president of Federation of National Associations of Al-Quran Tahfiz Institutions (Pinta), has since retracted the statement.

“There were family members who read it from my blog and said they were shocked. I did not mean it that way and third parties have worsened the situation.

“I am sorry. I do not want to make matters worse. As for the safety issue, I don’t even have knowledge about it. We were only staying temporarily in someone else’s building.

“But after this, there will be a new tahfiz school and we will do our best to follow the fire department’s instructions.”

Noor Azizan Abdul Aziz, who lost his 16-year-old son in the fire, asked Muhammad why the safety issue was directed back to families.

“The school’s safety is their responsibility and not the parents’. Why start the school if the safety issues were not looked into yet?” said Noor Azizan, who did not attend the meeting.

Another relative present at the meeting asked why there was no security provided at the building.

“They should understand the concept, try their best and then tawakal (leave it to God after all the effort). And then only can they leave it to fate.

“His statement allowed social media to blame the victims’ relatives.

“The building was free and the teachers were paid. They failed to provide security which then allowed people to break in and set fire,” said a mother of one of the victims.

However, Muhammad repeated that they were not permanent residents of the building and the issues raised were beyond his control.

“We were only there temporarily. It is not in our culture (as non-permanent residents) to demand those things. That is why we did not discuss the safety issue.

“Only the person who allowed us to stay would know (about the building’s safety aspect).

“We (the management) did not even know the building’s floor plans. We entered with the permission of the building owner.”

Muhammad said the new building will be better.

“We will do our best. We will hire security guards and install 24 hours CCTV (closed-circuit television cameras).”

The building is allegedly owned by the Federal Territory Religious Department (MAIWP). According to local authorities, it was operating as a school and hostel without approval.

It also did not have a certificate of completion and compliance or any emergency exits in case of fire.

MAIWP has yet to answer issues pertaining to the safety and security of the building. – September 25, 2017.