KANGAR: Those responsible behind the blaze which claimed the lives of 21 students and two wardens at Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah tahfiz school on Thursday morning

should be slapped with multiple criminal charges as a deterrent to others.

Describing the crime as unacceptable from the legal and humane perspective, Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi feels the suspects should also face other legal charges apart from provisions in the Penal Code.

Zahid, who is also Home Minister said it is up to the Attorney-General’s Chambers to decide on charges but feels that it should reflect the severity of the crime.

“In my view, besides being charged under the Penal Code, the culprits should also be slapped with other charges to reflect the severity of their crime although they are juveniles and also as a deterrent to others,” he said after opening the Arau Umno division delegates meeting here today.

Zahid also commended the police force solving the case within 48 hours of the incident.

He was commenting on calls by many quarters for the minors to be charged and tried as adults based on their action and the tragic outcome of the incident.

Zahid adds the punishment should be deterrent one so as to be a preventive in nature.

It will prevent more serious offences involving juveniles, such as massacre via firearms which had taken place in schools in developed nations, he adds.

It was reported that Kuala Lumpur police arrested seven teenagers, aged between 11 to 18, in relation to the tragic incident.

Police had identified the suspects through the closed-circuit television footage retrieved from Malaysian Muslim Consumers’ Association (PPIM) building located adjacent to the school.

It was reported that six of the teenagers were tested positive for ganja and police believed they were high on drugs when they committed the crime.

Investigation revealed that the suspects had set a fire at the school hostel located on the top floor of the three-storey building following a misunderstanding with some of the students.

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2017/09/280817/zahid-mete-out-severe-punishment-tahfiz-school-culprits