School staff in Malaysia slaps student for fidgeting during national anthem, sparks uproar

A school staff in Terangganu, Malaysia has come under fire for slapping a student during a school event, Sin Chew Daily reported.

The video of the incident was shared on Facebook on Wednesday (Dec 13) by teacher Mohd Fadli Salleh, who is not from the same school. 

In the clip posted, a man can be seen berating a student dressed in a black shirt before slapping him across the face.

The force of the slap startled the boy, almost causing him to fall. Seconds later, the man shoved the student to the side of the stage. 

The student was allegedly fidgeting while the national anthem was being played, local media reported. 

A parent who was present at the event said that representatives from the state government as well as the police were also there. 

The parent added that two students were punished then, one for fidgeting during the national anthem and one for laughing at the other student. 

He said that it's not the first time this person has been seen hitting a student, adding: "Hopefully action will be taken soon."

'They have feelings'

The video of the school staff slapping the student caused an outcry online, garnering some 2,800 comments within a day.

"What did the child did so wrong, that he couldn't wait for the ceremony to be over before he took action?" Fadli Salleh questioned.

Regardless of the student's misdemeanor, Fadli Salleh said that the school staff should have not disciplined the student in front of an audience. 

"Even though they are young, they have feelings," he wrote. 

Another netizen added: "Whatever the reason, it's still overwhelming and outrageous!"

In response to the comments, one netizen, who claimed to be a teacher, wrote: "Fierce and firm is necessary. Even a cane is necessary.

"But there's a fine line between barbaric and educating."

In response to some of the online backlash targeted against teachers, Fadli Salleh wrote: "We want people to respect us, but such actions will see people get angry with us and lose respect for us."

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ashwini.balan@asiaone.com