More than RM100,000 cash aid for students stolen from vehicle; education minister says rules breached
File photo of Malaysian Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. (Photo: Facebook/Fadhlina Sidek)
KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian police are on the hunt for a suspect who allegedly stole RM109,000 (US$25,173) from the front passenger seat of a car belonging to a school headmaster.
The money was meant to be cash aid for needy students.
Kajang police chief Mohd Zaid Hassan on Tuesday (Jan 17) said that the police received a report about the incident at 12.17pm on Monday from the 50-year-old headmaster.
The victim had allegedly placed the money in a bag inside the vehicle in Semenyih, Selangor before going to a nearby shop to buy a drink.
"Initial investigations revealed that the victim had withdrawn the money from a bank in Kampung Baru Semenyih at about 10am and placed the cash inside a bag. The bag was kept on the front passenger seat,” he was quoted as saying by Bernama.
Mr Mohd Zaid said the victim - who is a headmaster from a primary school in Semenyih - saw that the windscreen of his vehicle was broken before noticing that the bag containing the cash was stolen.
The police chief urged those with information about the case to contact their nearest police station, adding that it is being investigated under Section 379 of the Penal Code.
STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURE BREACHED: EDUCATION MINISTER
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Malaysian Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said that the standard operating procedure (SOP) when it comes to handling money has been breached.
According to Ms Fadhlina, there were guidelines that needed to be adhered to when withdrawing money for school purposes.
She said that the rules include the request for a police escort or the presence of another teacher for any withdrawal exceeding RM10,000.
“In this specific case, the amount was more than RM100,000. The SOP has definitely been breached.
“I view this case very seriously, and we will wait for the police investigation and the Selangor Education Department’s report before deciding on the next course of action,” she said, according to The Star.
Ms Fadhlina said that the education ministry has a process in place to deal with issues such as negligence, adding that the needy students will receive what is accorded to them despite the monetary loss.
“It's the students' rights to receive aid, and this in no way will be compromised either,” she added.
