EDUCATION Minister Maszlee Malik has sent an officer to investigate the case of a teacher in Sabah who reportedly skipped class for seven months.

Maszlee said he had already received an initial report on the teacher in Kota Belud, but decided to send another officer as he was not convinced on what really transpired.

“I received the report but it is still under investigation. I myself have sent an officer to go to the ground to meet the family and understand what really happened,” Maszlee told reporters in a press conference in Putrajaya.

A former student had recently sued the teacher over his absence from the English class he was assigned to teach from February to November 2015.

Except for about a week in October, he was missing from class for seven months, said the student.

Sabah Education and Innovation Minister Yusof Yacob said he took a personal interest in the case, which was under the purview of the state Education Department and the federal Education Ministry.

“I am monitoring this case closely.

“This bad habit of teachers or other government officers to skip work is not new,” he said, adding that there were “clear guidelines” on how the government may take action. – November 13, 2018.