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The father of the 13-year-old student who was killed in the SMK Tanjong Mas crash says he has forgiven the teacher involved in the fatal incident
"As a father, I forgive the teacher, and the rest I leave to the police for further investigation," said Mohd Azaudin Abdullah, 43.
His daughter, Nur Fatimatul Hawa Mohd Azaudin, died after she was struck by a car driven by the teacher, 57, outside the school's surau on Sunday afternoon, 12 April.
Mohd Azaudin said he had rushed to the school after receiving a call about the incident.
He said that when he arrived and saw his daughter's body, he only asked who had hit her.
The teacher later admitted that she was the one who had struck the student.
"I did not say anything, nor did I scold her. I just kept quiet."
He added that he has accepted what happened and is leaving the matter entirely to the authorities.
The victim's aunt and primary guardian, Zuraifah Mohd Noor, said she is also prepared to forgive
"As the aunt who has cared for her for the past five years, I am willing to forgive. However, for the other family members, I leave it to them," she said.
She added that the family is still in shock and not in a position to consider any legal action.
"For now, we do not plan to take any action on our own because we do not want to interfere with the ongoing investigation. We leave everything to the authorities," she said.
Zuraifah said the incident was difficult to comprehend, especially given the location.
"Logically, it doesn't make sense. It happened in a place where cars are not supposed to be."
Still, she described the incident as something beyond anyone's expectations.
"No one intends to hit someone. What happened was beyond expectation."
The aunt also revealed that she briefly met members of the teacher's family at the district police headquarters while both sides were lodging reports
"I wouldn't say I was angry. I felt empty. We just shook hands and couldn't speak much," she said.
However, she added that the family has asked the teacher's relatives not to visit their home for now due to the emotional state of other family members.
"I may be able to forgive, but I'm not sure about the others. So for now, we ask that they don't come yet," she said.
Meanwhile, the teacher involved in the incident has been remanded for two days to assist in investigations
The remand order was issued by Magistrate Wan Muhammad Izzat Wan Abdullah and is effective from today until tomorrow, 14 April.
The case is being investigated under Section 41(1) of the Road Transport Act 1987 for causing death by reckless or dangerous driving.
