Latest news with #TaufiqJohari
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Civil groups call for independent commission to probe Zara Qairina's death
(First to fifth from left) Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari, Miri MP Chiew Choon Man, Tuaran MP Wilfred Madius Tangau, Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, and Segamat MP R Yuneswaran holding up copies of the memorandum outside Parliament today. PETALING JAYA : Civil society groups have urged the government to set up an independent commission to investigate the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir and other bullying cases involving students over the past 10 years. Sekretariat Solidariti Zara, which comprises university students and civil society groups, also called for the outcomes of the commission's investigations to be made public. The group submitted a memorandum to MPs outside the Parliament building in Kuala Lumpur today, after marching from Taman Tugu while carrying banners and placards calling for justice for Zara. In the memorandum, they urged the home ministry and police to hold an inquest into Zara's death. The university students and civil society group representatives marching from Taman Tugu to Parliament. 'Too many lives have been lost because of bullying. For many years, bullying cases have occurred without holistic solutions and concrete policy reforms,' said the memorandum. It also urged the police to publicly apologise for the delay in probing Zara's death as well as the purported mishandling of the investigation. 'Delayed action reflects not only weak governance, but also a failure to uphold the responsibility of ensuring students' safety.' The group urged the home ministry to carry out specialised training for police officers to better handle bullying cases, and for teachers, school administrators and wardens to undergo mandatory training for crisis intervention and proper methods to receive complaints from bullying victims. It likewise urged the education ministry to engage with civil society to improve its SOPs on handling bullying cases in schools. Two days ago, Zara's remains were exhumed for a post-mortem after the Attorney-General's Chambers ordered the police to further investigate the 13-year-old's death. Yesterday, Bukit Aman announced that it would take over the investigation of the case. Zara was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school's hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died in hospital the following day. The education ministry subsequently announced that it would review its SOPs and guidelines on school safety and for handling disciplinary issues, including bullying. Education director-general Azam Ahmad said the ministry's portal for bullying complaints would also be simplified, with students filing complaints on bullying given the option to remain anonymous to protect their identity.
Free Malaysia Today
07-08-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
MPs back plan to make Form 5 education compulsory
Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said students who drop out early face a higher risk of unemployment, poverty, child marriage, and petty crime. (Bernama pic) KUALA LUMPUR : The Dewan Rakyat heard an extensive debate from 33 MPs on an amendment to the law that will make it mandatory for all students to study up to Form 5, rather than stopping at primary school. Most of the MPs raised concerns about the proposed RM5,000 fine and/or six months' jail term for parents who failed to comply with the new law. Opposition members, while supporting the amendment, called for a delay in the enforcement of these penalties, and urged the government to prioritise educating parents instead. Tabling the bill to amend the Education Act, education minister Fadhlina Sidek said the proposed law was necessary because too many students were dropping out after primary school. She noted that while enrolment for primary education reached 99.39% in 2024, upper secondary enrolment stood at just 92.6% – below the UN's minimum target of 95%. Fadhlina said students who drop out early face a higher risk of unemployment, poverty, child marriage, and petty crime. She said enforcement of the new law would be supported by targeted aid programmes, including school meal subsidies, transport assistance, and expanded access to vocational and STEM education. During the debate, Dr Taufiq Johari (PH-Sungai Petani) described the bill as a 'moral declaration' affirming every child's right to complete their education. Taufiq also linked youth apathy to lack of education, recalling a viral interview where many young people were unable to answer basic questions about democracy. He called for punitive measures to be paused and for more targeted support, such as school transport, food aid, and mental health services. Rodiyah Sapiee (GPS-Batang Sadong) supported the bill, calling it a 'structured way' to break the cycle of school dropouts, early marriage, and child labour. Radzi Jidin (PN-Putrajaya) said the bill was long overdue and built on reforms initiated during his tenure as education minister. He called for clarity on exemptions for private religious schools and homeschoolers. 'There are parents who send their children to unregistered institutions like tahfiz schools or practise homeschooling. Will they be automatically exempt, or must they apply?' he asked. Syerleena Abdul Rashid (PH-Bukit Bendera) praised the bill as a bold intervention against child marriage, poverty, and lost potential. She said ending school at age 12 left too many girls vulnerable.
Free Malaysia Today
18-07-2025
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Let newly appointed judges work without questioning legitimacy, says PKR man
Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari said he hopes the judicial appointments end the cycle of 'politically motivated speculation and innuendo'. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : PKR's Taufiq Johari today urged all quarters to let the newly appointed judges carry out their duties without questioning their legitimacy. The Sungai Petani MP took aim at Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's detractors for playing up the end of Tengku Maimun Tuan Mat's term as chief justice as the 'mother of all judicial scandals'. 'I hope (the judicial appointments) bring to an end the cycle of politically motivated speculation and innuendo that cast unwarranted aspersions on the integrity of the judicial appointment process. 'Some even accused the prime minister of trying to place former attorney-general and current Federal Court judge Ahmad Terrirudin Salleh as the new chief justice. 'Now that that claim has been revealed to be false, the detractors will undoubtedly try a different tactic,' he said in a statement. Justice Wan Ahmad Farid Wan Salleh was appointed as the new chief justice, taking over the post from Tengku Maimun, who retired earlier this month. The office of the chief registrar said the Yang di-Pertuan Agong had also consented to Abu Bakar Jais's appointment as president of the Court of Appeal, and Azizah Nawawi's appointment as chief judge of Sabah and Sarawak. They will be sworn in and presented with their letters of appointment at Istana Negara on July 28. Taufiq took particular aim at 'former PKR leaders like Latheefa Koya' for their role in magnifying the controversy, accusing them of forgetting the suspension and removal of Supreme Court lord president Salleh Abas from his seat in 1988. 'Indeed, then prime minister Dr Mahathir Mohamad suspended five Supreme Court judges during that real 'mother of all constitutional crises',' he said. Taufiq also pointed to the VK Lingam judicial crisis in 2007 and the 2021 suspension of Court of Appeal judge Hamid Sultan Abu Backer after he made allegations of judicial interference. 'The best thing we can do now is let the newly appointed judges carry out their duties to the best of their abilities without questioning the legitimacy of their appointments. 'Let them be judged by the wisdom of their judgments,' he said.
Free Malaysia Today
06-06-2025
- General
- Free Malaysia Today
PN trying to portray itself as Malay unifier, says PKR man
Sungai Petani MP Taufiq Johari said Dr Mahathir Mohamad's proposal for Malay-based parties to come under a single, broad coalition is a 'desperate and provocative move'. (Facebook pic) PETALING JAYA : PKR's Taufiq Johari today accused Perikatan Nasional (PN) of attempting to portray itself as a unifier of the Malay community, following a PAS leader's defence of Dr Mahathir Mohamad's new alliance for 'restoring Malay power' in the government. In a statement, he said the former prime minister and PAS, a PN component, had 'divided the community many times before in the past'. He said Mahathir had quit Umno to form Bersatu and then Pejuang – all three of them Malay-based parties. PAS, meanwhile, had broken up Muafakat Nasional, an alliance between the Islamic party and Umno, the country's two largest Malay-Muslim parties, he said. 'Now PAS is the latest to jump on Mahathir's false assertion that a new alliance is needed to restore Malay unity. 'Tuan Ibrahim Tuan Man must know that Mahathir's proposal for all Malay-based parties to come under a single, broad coalition is a desperate and provocative move,' he said. Tuan Ibrahim, the PAS deputy president, said last night that Mahathir's new platform was key to uniting the Malays. He also said that the proliferation of political parties was one of the main reasons behind disunity within the community. He said the democratic system had allowed the formation of many political parties and that a grand alliance involving intellectuals, corporate figures, politicians, and religious scholars was needed to unite the Malays. He also said that Mahathir's platform was different from PN, which was a coalition of political parties. On Wednesday, Mahathir announced a new loose coalition which would include PAS and Bersatu, to rally the Malays in an effort to save the community from what he described as political and economic decline. The event was attended by PN chairman Muhyiddin Yassin, opposition leader Hamzah Zainudin, and Tuan Ibrahim. Taufiq, the Sungai Petani MP, labelled it a 'gathering of disgruntled leaders' whom he said were trying to distract the public with a false narrative. 'I urge the Malays of today to look to the future, and not be tricked by these deceitful and irresponsible claims,' he said. Separately, Urimai chairman P Ramasamy said while Mahathir's new initiative was targeted at the Malays, it had implications for every ethnic group in Malaysia. 'Perhaps it is time for non-Malay communities to consider their own umbrella coalition – a political force to defend their rapidly eroding rights in an increasingly fragmented and directionless Malaysia,' he said in a Facebook post.
