Religious teacher who allegedly molested students in school, surau nabbed

GEORGE TOWN, July 24 — Police have arrested and remanded a 40-year-old Islamic religious teacher accused of molesting students in class and in a Muslim prayer room.

The teacher, who is married with five children, was remanded for seven days to facilitate investigations into claims that, among others, he forced the students to lick his genitals.

He allegedly fondled the private parts of a student during a Quran recital session, when the student was standing next to his desk at about 2.30pm last Wednesday (July 18).

The student later informed his mother of the incident and revealed that this was not the first time the same teacher touched him sexually. He alleged that the teacher has done so on different occasions since April 2017.

Southwest district police chief Superintendent A. Anbalagan said the student also alleged that the teacher similarly assaulted other classmates.

The student’s mother lodged a police report about the incident at about 10.16am on Saturday (July 21).

“On July 23, four other students from the school stepped forward to lodge police reports against the teacher for molesting them in class and at the surau in the school, some incidences even occurred after school hours,” Anbalagan told reporters.

He said another student, an 11-year-old who almost became a victim, also lodged a police report as a witness to the incidents against his classmates.

Initial investigations revealed that the teacher has taught Islamic studies in the school since 2014 and some of the victims were repeatedly molested.

“Some of the victims were also forced to lick his private parts sometimes during recess or after school hours,” he said.

The teacher was arrested at 10am yesterday at the Southwest District education department office in Balik Pulau and a seven-day remand order was issued today.

Four of the victims are 11 years’ old and in Standard Five while one is 10 years’ old in Standard Four.

The case is being investigated under Section 14 of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017 for physical sexual assault on a child.