Girl out of school for 4 months after chair-pulling incident

PADANG BESAR: A 12-year-old girl has allegedly been unable to attend school for nearly four months after sustaining injuries in a fall when a classmate pulled away her chair during a lesson in February.

Her mother, Norasikin Hasin, 32, claimed the Year 6 pupil suffered a soft tissue injury to her lower back and was later diagnosed with a functional neurological disorder and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) following the incident on Feb 11.

Norasikin said the incident occurred during a lesson when her daughter attempted to sit down after greeting a teacher, but fell to the floor after a female classmate allegedly pulled her chair away.

“My daughter began complaining of back pain after returning home from her hostel on Feb 13 for the school holidays coinciding with Ramadan,” she told reporters at her home in Chuping, near here.

“I only learned about the incident when I took her to Tuanku Fauziah Hospital in Kangar for treatment.

“Since then, my daughter has been admitted to hospital several times due to persistent pain and numbness.”

Norasikin said her daughter remains on medical leave, can no longer move as actively as before, and cannot stand or sit for long periods, which is affecting her studies.

She also claimed that her daughter’s emotional state had deteriorated, and she would often stare blankly into space, cry suddenly, and speak incoherently.

According to Norashikin, her daughter has been expressing her feelings through writings and drawings in a notebook resembling a personal diary.

“Through the entries, my daughter shared many of her feelings, including that some friends no longer wanted to befriend her.

“What saddened me most was a drawing depicting an individual standing at the edge of a high cliff facing the moon, which appeared to reflect the emotional distress she has been experiencing,” she said.

Norasikin hopes the authorities will ensure justice for her daughter, whom she described as a pupil with strong academic potential.

Padang Besar police chief Shokri Abdullah confirmed receiving a police report on the incident.

He said an investigation under Section 323 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt is complete, and the investigation paper has been referred to the deputy public prosecutor’s office for further action.