2007 05: ‘I want to be with mum’

The Star online. News. Nation. Friday May 4, 2007

By SIRA HABIBU

ALOR STAR: A 12-year-old boy, who ran away from a children’s home in Penang to be with his mother, wants to stay with her and go to a school near her house in Kampung Seberang Nyonya in Pekan Cina here.

Muhammad Tauhiq Firddauz Abu Bakar was sent to stay at the home five years ago because of a court order, as his mother 38-year-old Norshafilla Osman, a divorcee with five sons, was jobless.

Muhammad Tauhiq ran away from the home in November last year, claiming he could not stand being bullied by the older “sisters” at the home.

“I want to sit for the UPSR this year. I do not want to miss the examination. But my mother could not enrol me in any school in Kedah.

“The Welfare Department officers say I must return to the school in Bertam. This is not fair. Why can’t I be with my mother and go to a school near my mother’s house?

“When I was taken away from my mother, the people at the children’s home did not send me to a school for quite some time. Maybe they thought I would run away.

“I was finally enrolled into SK Hashim Awang in Year 3.

“After my Year 5 examination, I decided to run away on a bicycle to be with my mother.

“I rode on the North-South Expressway to Alor Star. But police stopped me at the Sungai Petani Utara toll plaza and took me to my mother,” he said.

Muhammad Tauhiq said he dearly wished that all his brothers could stay together with their mother as a family.

“My eldest brother is staying with a relative. My two other brothers are staying in children's homes. Only my nine-year-old brother is with our mother,” he said.

A spokesman from the children’s home claimed that Muhammad Tauhiq ran away from his mother’s home, not their home.

Kedah Welfare Department deputy director Hashimah Ibrahim said the department had applied for the court order as the mother could not afford to take care of her children.

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Runaway may get to stay with mum
The Star online. News. Nation. Saturday May 5, 2007

By SIRA HABIBU

ALOR STAR: The 12-year-old boy who ran away from a children's home in Penang may get his wish to stay with his mother in Kedah.

Alor Star MP Datuk Chor Chee Heung said he would talk to the Welfare Department to make the necessary arrangements for the boy to stay with his mother and continue schooling in Kedah.

“The boy must continue schooling. We will work something out in terms of maintenance and schooling. I will make arrangements to give him pocket money,” he said.

He was commenting on Muhammad Tauhiq Firddauz Abu Bakar’s plight which was highlighted in The Star yesterday.

The boy ran away from a children’s shelter in Kepala Batas to be with his mother in Kampung Seberang Nyonya in Pekan Cina here.

He started cycling towards Alor Star, 90km away, on the day after sitting for his final Year Five paper in November last year. Police spotted him at the Sungai Petani Utara toll plaza about 30km from the children’s home.

He was then brought to his mother. The boy was separated from his mother when he was seven following a court order.

His mother Norshafilla Osman, 38, has five sons aged between six and 15 and was not able to take care of her children.

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Alor Star MCA adopts boy
The Star online. News. Nation. Sunday May 6, 2007

ALOR STAR: The Alor Star MCA has adopted Muhammad Tauhiq Firddauz Abu Bakar, who ran away from a children’s home in Penang to be with his mother, under its “anak angkat” scheme.

Its chairman Datuk Chor Chee Heung said 12-year-old Muhammad Tauhiq would be adopted under the Langkawi Project scheme.

Chor said Muhammad Tauhiq would be given pocket money of RM60 a month, textbooks, bags and shoes if arrangements could be made for him to go to school in Kedah.

Muhammad Tauhiq ran away from a children’s shelter in Kepala Batas last November to be with his mother in Kampung Seberang Nyonya in Pekan China, Alor Star.

He was sent to the children’s home about five years ago after the Welfare Department applied for a court order.

Kedah Welfare Department deputy director Hashimah Ibrahim said the department had applied for the order as the boy's mother, Norshafilla Osman, a divorcee with no income, could not afford to take care of her five sons.

Her eldest son, who is 15, is staying with a relative while two others, aged 13 and 6 are in children’s homes in Malacca and Kepala Batas respectively. Only her nine-year-old son is with her.

Muhammad Tauhiq, who hopes to sit for the UPSR this year, immediately asked his mother to buy him a UPSR science book after Chor donated RM50 to her.

“I have missed classes this year. I do not have any books. I want to study. I wish I could go to tuition classes to catch up with my studies.”

Chor also added that he would discuss with the welfare department to help Norshafilla repair her dilapidated house and apply for a new house built for the poor.

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Tauhiq gets wish to sit for UPSR today

The Star Online. News. Nation. Monday September 3, 2007

ALOR STAR: The 12-year-old boy who ran away from a children’s home in North Seberang Prai to be with his mother here has got his wish – to sit for the UPSR which starts today.

State Education director Misrah Ibrahim said arrangements were being made to let Muhammad Tauhiq sit for the examination at SK Gerigis here as a private student.

The school is not far from his mother’s rented house in Taman Derga.

Muhammad Tauhiq, when informed of the news, said he would do his “very best”.

“I am so happy now. I was feeling miserable the whole year because I could not attend school,” he said.

Muhammad Tauhiq had pleaded with the education authorities to allow him to sit for the UPSR this year as he did not want to be a school dropout.

He had said he was willing to sleep in a surau if the education authorities allowed him to sit for the examination at his old school, SK Hashim Awang in North Seberang Prai.

Muhammad Tauhiq said he did not know what paper he would be sitting for today, but he was prepared for all the subjects except English.

Penang Puteri Umno chief Azalina Mehtab Mohd Ishaq who read about the boy’s plight in The Star yesterday alerted Education Minister Datuk Seri Hishamuddin Tun Hussein.

Hishamuddin then directed the relevant authorities to look into the matter.

Malaysia Examination Board director Datuk Mohammed Zakaria Mohd Noor said the board, which allowed the boy to sit for the examination as a private student, gave such leeway to dropouts and those who could not register on time.