Civil Litigation

Teacher “ponteng kelas”, students compensated with RM50,000?

Three students from a secondary school in Sabah sued their English teacher, the Ministry of Education, and the Malaysian government, among 5 defendants, for the teacher’s long-term unexplained absences.

What laws did the absent teacher violate?

The students claimed that the teacher violated the statutory duty under the Education Act and committed the offense of misconduct in public office, infringing on the students’ education rights as stipulated in Articles 5 and 12 of the Federal Constitution.

What punishment will the absent teacher face?

The judge found the plaintiffs’ evidence to have a “higher probability” and ruled in favor of the plaintiffs.

Each plaintiff is entitled to RM 30,000 in nominal damages and RM 20,000 in aggravated damages. The total compensation awarded to the three plaintiffs is RM 150,000 (excluding interest). The defendants are required to pay 5% interest until the full compensation is paid.