ABOUT 10 people were loitering suspiciously in front of a tahfiz centre the night before a deadly fire, said a neighbour.

Malaysian Muslim Consumers Association (PPIM) chairman Nadzim Johan said the loiterers were captured by close circuit television (CCTV) cameras at the PPIM office, which is next to Darul Quran Ittifaqiyyah in Jalan Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur.

These people started hanging around in front of the school from about 7pm on Wednesday evening. 

“People are saying that the fire could have something to do with PPIM’s activities, that it was caused by revenge. We are not sure,” he told reporters today.

He said PPIM was sharing with police footage from the 20 CCTV cameras on its premises.

The fire is believed to have started around 5.10am yesterday on the top floor of the three-story building, where the dormitory was located.

The victims were 21 students aged 11 to 17 and two teachers who were trapped as the sole exit was on fire and the window grilles could not be opened.

PPIM member Muhamad Zharif Johor said the CCTV cameras covered the tahfiz centre’s front entrance and the rear.

“We hope that the footage will offer clues that will help resolve the case,” he said.

Kuala Lumpur Fire and Rescue Department director director Khirudin Drahman has said that the speed in which the fire had spread pointed to the possibility of arson.

He ruled out an earlier theory that the fire could have been started by a short circuit, in which case he said the blaze would have taken about  30 minutes to spread.

Meanwhile, Nadzim urged the government to enact laws to govern tahfiz schools.

“We are not pointing fingers but (a law) is needed; who is responsible when such things happen? If we are careless, we ourselves are tempting fate.

“Whether the law is enacted under the Education Ministry or under the Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim), we hope the government will enact laws to govern tahfiz centres.”

He said there were an estimated 10,000 tahfiz schools nationwide.

Concerns over these schools have previously been raised as many of them, especially those that are privately run, are not registered with the authorities.– September 15, 2017.