The Malaysian Insight

MOHAMAD Thaqif Amin Mohd Gadaffi, the schoolboy who died after a severe beating, was laid to rest at the Felda Bukit Aping Timur Muslim cemetery in Kota Tinggi, Johor, about 12.30am today.

The 11-year-old pupil of Madrasah Tahfiz Al-Jauhar was sent off by about 300 people, including 30 tahfiz students accompanied by the madrasah headmaster Mohammad Afdhaluddin and the religious teacher.

Sedeli assemblyman Rasman Ithnain, Johor Women, Family and Community Development Committee chairman Asia Md Ariss and Amanah leader Salehuddin Ayub were among the crowd.

Thaqif’s father, Mohd Gaddafi Mat Karim, 43, brought his son’s body from the Hospital Sultan Ismail mortuary just after midnight. Thaqif’s mother, Felda Wani Ahmad, 40, a teacher, was seen holding on to her two youngest children.

Thaqif’s grandfather Ahmad Motai, 66, said the boy, the third of five children, was cheerful and had a good heart.

“He insisted on attending a madrasah because he wanted to take his mother to heaven. He enrolled on January 27. 

“Thaqif also wanted to be a tahfiz. Nobody forced him. He wanted all that on his own.

“But then after two months, he wanted to leave the school very badly,” he told The Malaysian Insight while he waited for his grandson’s body to arrive home.

Thaqif was taken out of school by his mother on March 31 after he complained of frequent beatings.

He was allegedly abused and tortured by the assistant school warden, who had whipped him with a water hose until his legs were black and blue.

The legs became infected and the infection later spread to the boy’s kidneys and shoulder. 

Thaqif’s legs had to be amputated at Sultan Ismail Hospital. He was scheduled to undergo more surgery at 8am yesterday to remove the right arm but it was postponed because of his weak heart.

He died at the hospital yesterday afternoon about 2pm.

The assistant school warden, who was remanded by police on Saturday, is now facing a murder charge.

Earlier reports said the warden was a former convict who had served time for burglary.

The father of one of Thaqif’s schoolmates said his 14-year-old son had attended the madrasah in Kota Tinggi for two years.

“Nothing like this has ever happened in the past. Maybe it is because there was a different assistant warden,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

The father, who declined to be named, said he would not be taking his son out of the madrasah because it had good facilities. – April 27, 2017.