KLANG: He had been entrusted to teach, guide and take care of his wards, but a teacher and warden of a residential religious school operated by the controversial Global Ikhwan Services and Business Holdings (GISB) had abused and trashed them instead.
For his cruel conduct, Muhammad Barur Rahim Hisam, 23, was sentenced to 10 years imprisonment by the Sessions Court here.
Muhammad Barur had pleaded guilty to all the four charges he was slapped with under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001 which came with a maximum jail term of 20 years or an RM50,000 fine or both.
He admitted to abusing the boys in June, July and earlier this month at the two GISB-owned Sekolah Rendah Islam Miftahul Hikmah premises located at Bukit Raja here.
Put away: Muhammad Barlur being escorted by police outside the Sessions Court in Klang, Selangor. — KK SHAM/The Star
According to the facts of the case, Muhammad Barur had caned the first victim who was 11 years old five times for littering and the second victim, also 11, was caned six times.
He also knelt on the chest of a 10-year-old boy with his knees which had left a bruise on the boy’s body.
The third victim had also been caned and hit with a broomstick and a badminton racket.
Judge Noridah Adam sentenced Muhammad Barur to two years jail each for the first and second charges and three years each for the subsequent two charges.
She ordered the jail term to run consecutively from the date of his arrest, which was Sept 11, and also handed Muhammad Barur a five-year good behaviour bond with a RM10,000 surety.
He would have to serve an additional six months in jail, for each of the charges, in the event he violates the bond.
Muhammad Barur, who was wearing a red T-shirt, kept his head bowed throughout the long proceeding and said he understood the charges levelled against him before pleading guilty.
When making his plea, the GISB member and employee who was unrepresented asked for a lighter sentence saying he had his parents to care for.
Muhammad Barur, who had until then remained silent, only said this after the court interpreter told him that he could make a plea by informing the court his circumstances.
He also added that he was repentant for what he had done and promised not to repeat his actions.
DPP Datin Kalmizah Salleh, in her mitigation, said Muhammad Barur’s plea for leniency should be disregarded and a maximum sentence imposed given the gravity of the situation.
She said the punishment meted upon Muhammad Barur must reflect on various factors such as the force used on the victims and the injuries it had caused, the victims’ condition, public interest as well as the victims’ mental state due to the incident.
“His actions against the victims were inhuman.
“As the caretaker of the school where the boys were studying, he should have been caring towards them,’’ she said.
Kalmizah added that the schoolboys had a long road ahead of them and are now traumatised due to what Muhammad Barur had done.
“This will haunt them,’’ she added.
The matter came to light after video clips of the abuse were found on cell phones that were seized by police following the raid on GISB premises.
