TAHFIZ schools are being unfairly singled out for operating illegally and sex abuse cases, said the head of the Association of Al-Quran Tahfiz Institutions (Pinta).

Pinta president Mohd Zahid Mahmood said the order to shut down a Kepong tahfiz school following a sodomy case involving its principal affects the livelihood of teachers and well-being of students.

“A lot of other buildings are used and occupied illegally, not just tahfiz schools. (Federal Territories Minister) Khalid Abdul Samad should have been more diplomatic, as his statement has affected the teachers and students.”

He said there are kindergartens that operate illegally, and sexual abuse cases happen elsewhere, too.

He said Khalid should not have ordered the immediate closure of Darul As-Syabab, whose principal allegedly sodomised students, based on claims that have yet to be proven, and the fact that the school is not registered.

He said the minister should, instead, try and understand why so many tahfiz schools are in operation despite not getting official approval, and the problems they faced when trying to register.

Figures from the Fire and Rescue Department in February showed there were about 1,000 tahfiz schools nationwide, but only 612 were registered.

Zahid said the latest figures show there are 800 registered schools, while another 500 are in the process of getting registered.

“Why be more strict with religious institutions? Why not check unregistered kindergartens?

“And, sodomy doesn’t happen only in tahfiz schools. It happens elsewhere, too, like in military camps.

“Making this hasty decision has caused the tahfiz institution to look bad. This may be just one case in 1,000.”

On Tuesday, Khalid ordered Darul As-Syabab to close immediately after it was found to be operating without the authorities’ approval, and posed a safety risk, with exposed wiring on its premises, among others.

This follows news that its principal, a man in his 30s, has been charged with 11 counts of child abuse. He allegedly molested and sodomised nine students, aged between 11 and 16.

It was reported that Khalid had ordered Kuala Lumpur City Hall (DBKL) to crack down on other tahfiz schools operating illegally, but he later denied this, saying such schools have until December 31 to submit registration applications to DBKL and the Federal Territories Islamic Religious Department.

Zahid said if a tahfiz school is found to have problems, the authorities can ask for a change in management instead of closing down the school.

He said such closures are unfair to both ustaz teaching at the schools and students.

Darul As-Syabab is not the only tahfiz centre to be thrust into the spotlight over allegations of child sexual abuse.

In March, a 41-year-old man who volunteered at a tahfiz school in Kuantan was slapped with 38 charges of sexual assault and sodomy against 10 students.

In July, a 21-year-old tahfiz teacher in Taman Keramat Permai, Hulu Klang, was arrested for forcing a student to perform oral sex on him several times.

And in 2016, rumours of sexual abuse at a tahfiz school owned by popular preacher Kazim Elias led to him lodging a report and threatening to sue the mother of a student who made the allegations.

Simplifying registration

Zahid said the government should make it easier for tahfiz schools to obtain approval.

He said many cannot afford to pay for building renovations and safety features, to meet the requirements set by the Fire and Rescue Department.

“Financial constraints are the main problem. Sometimes, a rundown surau is ‘donated’ to be used as a tahfiz school.”

Money woes continue for many tahfiz schools, despite a RM30 million allocation announced by the previous government last year for such schools to upgrade their infrastructure.

The funds were set aside following a fire at a tahfiz school in Kg Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, which killed 23 people.

Other requirements for tahfiz schools to be registered include those set by the state religious department on such schools’ teaching staff, curriculum approval and consent from members of the community living where the said schools would be set up.

All in, the registration process can take up to three years.

Zahid said many tahfiz schools have given up after repeated, unsuccessful attempts to get the green light.

This has given rise to schools operating illegally, due to the high demand for a tahfiz education.

Zahid suggested that the government allow Pinta to be a registry of tahfiz schools, and to let the schools operate if they are members of the association.

Pinta conducts regular checks on its members and has a complaints bureau, which handles registration-related issues.

“We have to guard Islam’s image. Do not let others think of bad things and sodomy when they think of Islam.” – September 27, 2018.