According to Bernama News Agency via "Hindu schoolgirl’s claim she was punished, had holy string cut over velcro shoes", Malaysia, Malay Mail, 4 November 2023, police had conducted further investigations pertaining to a report lodged by a secondary school student in Tasek Gelugor in Kepala Batas, Penang.
Report
According to the Bernama, ACP Mohd Radzi Ahmad, Seberang Perai Selatan district Police Chief, said that the report was lodged at 10.43 pm and the claims are:
- She was punished for wearing the shoes with velcro straps;
- Her holy string was cut and asked to remove sacred ash and traditional pottu from her forehead
ACP Mohd Radzi in his media statement mentioned that the claims in the report are as below:
- She was told by a senior teacher to kneel with her hands up as punishment during a school assembly on Wednesday;
- The reason why she was punished stems from her wearing the shoes with velcro straps; and
- She was told by a senior teacher to kneel with her hands up as punishment during a school assembly on Wednesday.
Initial Investigation
The police said that an initial investigation found the girl had been transferred to the school in October 2023. So far, the police had recorded witness statements including from several students and teachers in the school. Based from the witnesses' initial statements, they claimed that:
- They did not see the student being punished by kneeling during school's assembly; and
- Some of them claimed that they saw the red string on the student's hand and the pottu on her forehead even after the school was over.
In this regard, the police also advised the public not to make speculations about cases involving religious offences as this could affect racial harmony.
