Rescued SK Tohoi students request transfer of school

The two Orang Asli pupils of Sekolah Kebangsaan (SK) Tohoi who were found alive after a group of seven pupils went missing last August, have expressed their wish to be transferred to SK Betis here.

Norieen Yaakob, 10, and Miksudiar Aluj, 11, are no longer interested in continuing their studies at SK Tohoi as they are still traumatised by the incident.

Norieen's mother, Midah Angah, 40, said her daughter was interested to go back to school, but not at SK Tohoi.

"I hope to discuss this with the Gua Musang District Education Office and the Department of Orang Asli Development.

"I know SK Tohoi have improved a lot, but my daughter is more interested in joining SK Betis and there are hostel facilities there, too," she told reporters at her Kampung Penad home here Sunday.

Last August, seven SK Tohoi pupils fled from their hostel as they feared being punished after they went for a bath at a nearby river without prior permission.

READ: Pos Tohoi tragedy: Fear of punishment believed to have triggered chain of events

After being lost for nearly 50 days in the jungle, the bodies of four of the children were found. Another child, Sasa Sobrie, eight, is still missing.

PHOTO GALLERY: The search and rescue of SK Tohoi Orang Asli pupils

Miksudiar and Norieen were found famished and dehydrated on a river bank in the deep jungles of Tohoi.

On Norieen's health, Midah said her daughter was still traumatised by the incident and woke up at night crying.

"The trauma is giving her interrupted sleep. I have coaxed her into moving on with her life and she has started to go out to play with her neighbourhood friends," she said, adding that Norieen often visited her brother's (Haikal) grave, as the two were very close.

Meanwhile, Miksudiar's uncle, Akik Bahir, 46, when met at Kampung Gawin said she was still watching her diet as she was suffering from heart problems.

"Miksudiar is recovering and has started to play with her friends living nearby but she does not want to go back to SK Tohoi as the incident still haunts her," he said.

Meanwhile, the Kelantan Education Department is prepared to help both Norieen and Miksudiar in placing them in a new hostel and school of their choice.

Kelantan Education Department Private Education and Special Education sector chief, Abdul Hamid Dollah said the parents of both girls were only required to be present at the school to resolve the matter.

"They just have to fill in a form to obtain approval from the Gua Musang District Education Office" he told reporters at a Bank Simpanan Nasional School Carnival here Sunday.

Elaborating, he said the department was willing to give its full cooperation to help with the school transfer.