M'sian couple to stand trial on Monday

Malaysian couple, Shalwati Nurshal and her husband Azizul Raheem Awaluddin are scheduled to appear in at a Stockholm court on Monday, Feb 10 to face charges of child abuse.

The couple have been detained in Sweden since Dec 18 for allegedly hitting their son on the arm as punishment for not performing his prayers.

The court is set to decide whether to charge the couple or extend their remand order.

In 1979, Sweden became the first country to ban corporal punishment against children under any circumstances, both at home and in school.

Meanwhile, the couple’s four children - Aishah, 14, Amar, 12, Adam, 11 and Arif, 7, began their schooling session on Sunday in Kota Bharu.

They had returned to Malaysia on Feb 2 and are now under the care of their aunt Sharlena Makhzan who is also a teacher.

Both Aishah and Amar have been registered at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Padang Kala while Adam and Arif at Sekolah Rendah Padang Kala.

The two schools are located close Sharlena’s home.

Aishah, speaking to reporters, said she felt both excited and nervous about going to a school here.

She and her siblings had been living in Sweden for the past 3 years.

“I was very nervous in the morning but I’m feeling better now. I’ve made friends and the teachers are nice. I don’t know what to expect but I hope we are welcomed,” she said.

Kelantan education director Hussain Awang was on hand at the school to welcome the children and to hand them their school text books.

Meanwhile, SRK Padang Kala headmaster Abdul Aziz Saleh said the school had also assigned a coordinator and shadow teachers to help Adam and Arif adjust to their new surroundings.

“The coordinator will monitor the pupils in the areas of language development and communication with other pupils while the shadow teachers will act as counsellors,” he said, adding that the teachers will also assist them to communicate in Bahasa Melayu.

It was reported that the pupils are not very fluent in Malay.

“We will provide extra classes in Bahasa Melayu so that Adam and Arif can master the language quickly,” added Abdul Aziz Saleh.

The children’s uncle, Badrul Hisham Mahzan, meanwhile, expressed his gratitude for the assistance rendered by different parties in helping the children attend school.

“I want to thank everyone and I hope that the kids will reunite with their parents,” he said, adding that photos and newspaper clippings of the children were sent over to the parents' lawyers in Sweden to keep them informed.

“Both Azizul and Shalwati are very happy to learn about their updates in Malaysia and they want to thank everyone who had helped their children,” he said.