Special task force on tahfiz school tragedy will look into RCI findings 30 years ago

KUALA LUMPUR: The special task force to investigate the recent fire tragedy at a tahfiz school will integrate the findings made by a Royal Commission of Inquiry (RCI) which was formed during a similar case almost 30 years ago.
Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the outcome of the RCI should be used as a guideline for the operation of tahfiz and religious schools in the future.
He added despite the formation of the RCI, many of the recommendations were not being used and implemented in managing tahfiz schools nationwide.
The recommendations made by the RCI on religious schools' safety were released after a 1989 fire tragedy at the Taufiqiah Al-Halimiah religious school in Yan, Kedah, which killed 27 people.
"The special task force will scrutinise the recommendations made by the RCI which was formed after the tragedy in Kedah.
"Not all tahfiz schools did not comply with the regulations, but these one or two incidents would cast a bad image on our religious education system," he told a press conference after a National Transformation 2050 (TN50) dialogue session at the Police Training Academy today.
A fire that broke out on early Thursday morning at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school in Keramat had resulted in the death of 23 people.
Ahmad Zahid had yesterday stated that the government would establish the task force to probe the tragedy, with the cooperation of various departments and agencies.
Meanwhile, Ahmad Zahid said religious and tahfiz schools could not be placed under the purview of the federal government.
"The schools are under the jurisdiction of the respective states' religious departments and agencies, and it must be respected.
"However, we will implement the coordinating efforts so that such an incident will not happen again," he said.
He added that even the Malaysian Islamic Development Department, which had introduced a policy to oversee tahfiz schools, had no power to implement it.
"The enforcement and implementation power are under the religious department and agency of states," he said.
Ahmad Zahid said the special task force would be conducting its first meeting next Tuesday, which would include various parties including the Education Ministry, local councils and related agencies and departments.