Check background before recruiting tahfiz teachers - Mahdzir

Minister, Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said this included investigating the educational background of the teaching manpower and records of where they had taught.

He said the move was aimed at preventing a recurrence of the incident in which tahfiz (religious) school pupil Mohammad Thaqif Amin Mohd Ghaddafi,11, was alleged to have been brutally abused by an assistant warden at the school in Kota Tinggi, Johor.

Subsequent to the alleged abuse, the victim's legs were amputated due to bacterial infection before he died yesterday at the Sultan Ismail Hospital.

"However, it (the move to scrutinise) is subject to the schools registered with the ministry and the Islamic Development Department (JAKIM).

"It is difficult for the ministry to monitor tahfiz centres which are set up privately but we urge them to do so," he told reporters after the ''Negaraku, Menghubung Menyatu'' programme at the Kampung Tengah Public Field, Mukim Kurong Hitam here on Thursday.

Mahdzir, prior to this, said private religious stream schools including tahfiz centres would be registered under JAKIM soon, in line with the National Tahfiz Education Policy as suggested by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.