A Malaysian teacher has been accused for telling his 15-year-old student to convert to Islam if he would like a spot in the national football team.
According to Malaysiakini, the boy’s mother, who only wanted to be named as Vasan, reportedly learned of the incident last week (3rd February), when her son showed her messages that were exchanged in a WhatsApp group that his teacher had created.
In the chat group, the teacher been seen encouraging the teen to convert to Muslim and prompted the other students in the group to suggest him an Islamic name.
During the press meet that was held in Petaling Jaya on 8th of February, the mother explained “When I looked through the messages, I noticed that the teacher told my son that if he wanted to join the national team, he had to be a Muslim,”
“What baffled me the most was that the teacher said that only Muslims are allowed to enter stadiums in Malaysia,” adding that the teacher was apparently preaching actively about the religion to her son for the past six months.
The kid’s parents have lodged a police report against the teacher.
However, the young lad is concerned that his parents lodging a police report may impact in his academic performance and even result in his suspension from the football team at his school.
Arun Dorasamy, the chairman of the Hindu Agamam Ani Malaysia Association, has backed the parents’ decision to look into the situation. Arun told the media that because the kid was a minor, it was illegal and unconstitutional to try to convert him to a different religion without getting his parents’ permission.
“I don’t know what the teacher’s intentions were but whatever it was, whatever he has said or done to the student, was against Article 11 of the Federal Constitution (which guarantees freedom of religion),” Arun quoted.
Previous attempts by the teenager’s parents to call the teacher about the messages have been unsuccessful as he has blocked their numbers.
Investigations Have Begun
According to the Cheras police chief ACP Zam Halim Jamaluddin, he confirmed that investigations are ongoing and statements from the witnesses are currently being taken
In a statement, Zam said an investigation have been opened under Section 298A of the Penal Code for causing disharmony using religious sentiments and Section 505(b) of the Penal Code for causing panic and fear to the public.
Furthermore, he also has advised the public to refrain from making any baseless claims and to contact authorities if they have any information concerning the case.
Check the video here:
@malaysia_kini Seorang guru didakwa menggalakkan seorang pelajar Tingkatan Tiga di sebuah sekolah di Kuala Lumpur untuk memeluk Islam, dengan mendakwa ia akan meningkatkan peluangnya untuk menjadi pemain bola sepak kebangsaan. Laporan lanjut: https://www.malaysiakini.com/news/654403 #BeritaTerkini #BeritaTikTok #Malaysia #MalaysiaNews #PDRM #BolaSepak ♬ original sound – Malaysiakini
Let’s hope the investigations will soon bring justice to light.
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