THE NEW ZEALAND HERALD

Teacher forces student to smoke 42 cigarettes

11:30AM Tuesday Aug 18, 2009

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia - Reports that a teacher forced a student to smoke as punishment after a cigarette and lighter were found in his locker have been confirmed as true say media reports.

The New Straits Times Daily quoted the teen as saying he was made to smoke 42 cigarettes - four at a time for more than two hours.

The punishment was witnessed by other teachers and students.

A school official has confirmed that the English teacher subjected the student to the unusual punishment but said the teenager was made to smoke fewer than 42 cigarettes.

The teacher was said to be upset when she found model student, 16-year-old Mohamad Alif Arifin, had a cigarette and lighter in his locker in the school in the northern island of Langkawi.

The boy was also smelling of cigarettes, said a school official, who declined to be named citing protocol.

He said the school apologized to the boy's uncle, who lodged a police report when he found out about the punishment.

"This is not normal. We don't do that often," he said.

He said it was up to the state's education department to take action against the teacher.

The government currently permits boys to be whipped with a rattan cane in schools for offenses such as smoking.

- AP

(THIS PIECE OF NEWS -taken from the herald- WAS SHOWN TO ONE OF OUR FRIENDS DURING A SCHOOL VISIT AT MASSEY HIGH SCHOOL TODAY.)

NEW STRAITS TIMES

Forced to smoke 42 cigarettes by hostel warden

2009/08/06

By Sharanpal Singh Randhawanews@nst.com.my

LANGKAWI: As punishment for being caught with a cigarette and a lighter in his locker, a Form Four student of SMK Langkawi, Pulau Tuba, was forced to smoke 42 cigarettes by the hostel warden.

Mohd Alif Arifin, 16, said his punishment was witnessed by other teachers and students.

"It went on for more than two hours. I was forced to smoke four cigarettes at a time until I finished 42 cigarettes."

He said he didn't know the cigarette was in his locker, but his denials were not heeded.

After the incident, he was sent home to his aunt and uncle in Kampung Selat, Bagan Nyiur, here, who have looked after him since the death of his parents.

His aunt Faridah Mat Zain said: "The school told me he wasn't feeling well. He was coughing continuously and he was very quiet. But two days later, I noticed his lips were swollen and got him to tell me what happened. He couldn't eat for five days."

He was taken to a clinic which referred him to Langkawi Hospital, she said.

Alif's uncle, Husni Mat Zain, lodged a report at the Kuah district police headquarters on July 29.

Deputy district police chief Deputy Superintendent Harrith Kam Abdullah said: "We arranged a meeting between the warden, a committee member of the parent-teacher association and the school principal. The warden asked for forgiveness and the family accepted, so we consider the case closed now."

He said it is up to the state education department to decide the appropriate action.

The assistant director of the district education department, Halid Ali, confirmed he had received a complaint about the incident, and said the warden's action was not appropriate.

The case was still under probe, he said, and the findings would be sent to the state education department.