2017 Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah madrasa fire
Date14 September 2017
Time5:10 AM (MST)
LocationKampung Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia
Coordinates3°10′08″N 101°43′58″E / 3.1688°N 101.7328°E / 3.1688; 101.7328
TypeFire accidents classified as murder[1]
CauseArson that was set by outsider drug addicts after they were taunted by students in the madrasa for entering the areas to abuse drugs[2][3]
MotiveRevenge[4][5]
Deaths23
Non-fatal injuries5
Suspects7
ConvictedMuhammad Adli Shah Bin Mohd Yusry, one other unnamed teenager
Charges23 counts of murder under section 300(d) of the Penal Code
VerdictGuilty (Muhammad Adli Shah Bin Mohd Yusry), not guilty (unnamed)
Convictions23 counts of murder under section 300(d) of the Penal Code
SentenceDetention at the pleasure of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong

The 2017 Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah madrasa fire, which occurred at around 5:10 am on 14 September 2017, where a fire broke out at the Darul Quran Ittifaqiyah madrasa in Kampung Datuk Keramat, Kuala Lumpur resulted in 23 of the madrasa residents (comprising 21 students and two teachers) killed, while five others were reportedly injured.[6][7]

Based on the investigations, there was a quarrel between the madrasa boarders and a group of seven teenage boys who entered the area to abuse the drugs they purchased, prompting them to burn the building. All of the seven troubled teens were expelled from school following numerous serious discipline offences. Further causes were including a firework assault against them by the same teens and a quarrel over who will use the futsal court between two parties.[8]

Background

The fire started on the second and upper floors of the madrasa building, and quickly spread throughout most of the building, preventing the only entrance which trapped the occupants from escaping. Many windows were also fitted with bolted grills that made it difficult for occupants to save themselves.[6] Neighbouring witnesses reported that they were awakened at dawn by the cries of the students who were trapped inside the building and tried to save them but could not do so because the fire spread very quickly with many of them still trapped behind the metal window grills,[7] adding that those who survived managed to escape by jumping directly to the ground while others through the building water pipelines. The fire was finally contained by the fire department at around 6:40 am.[9]

Victims

Twenty-three of the madrasa residents were killed in the incident, twenty-one were students and two were teachers. Their names and ages are as follows:[10][11]

  1. Muhammad Danieal Md Amin, 14
  2. Ahmad Rijal Mohammad Rodzi, 13
  3. Muhammad Hasrullah Ismaik, 14
  4. Muhammad Haikal Abdullah, 12
  5. Muhammad Aidil Aqmal Mohd Zamzuri, 10
  6. Muhammaf Fahmie Abdullah, 11
  7. Muhammad Afiq Haqimie Hairulizwan, 11
  8. Muhammad Aiman Ramzanudin, 12
  9. Azkar Dariemi F. Zaska, 8
  10. Nik Muhammad Ridzuan Bin Nik Azlan
  11. Azkar Abiedi F. Zaska, 11
  12. Umar Al Khatab Helmi, 6
  13. Amiel Asyraaf Abd Rasid, 11
  14. Muhammad Nizammudin Nasrun, 13
  15. Muhammad Hafiz Iskandar Sulaiman, 11
  16. Muhammad Harris Ikhwan Mohd Sulaiman, 10
  17. Muhammad Taufik Hidayat Norazizan, 16
  18. Ahmad Harith Adam Mohd Nor Hadi, 12
  19. Muhammad Hazim Ahmad Nor, 13
  20. Muhammad Syafik Haikal Abdullah, 13
  21. Muhammad Zattulah Roslan, 11
  22. Mohd Yusuf Md, 26 (teacher)
  23. Mohd Amrul Nizam Sakarno, 25 (teacher)

Investigations and arrests

Investigations were then conducted by police and firefighters to find the cause of the fire. Initially, the firefighters thought it may be due to a short circuit[12] but after a full investigation and through CCTVs outside the building, several suspects were identified to have infiltrated the area at around 3:10 am. Through other CCTVs footage retrieved from the five nearest petrol stations, the intruding suspects had earlier been seen buying petrol at one of the stations at 1:30 am in a Yamaha Lagenda motorcycle.[13][14] Around seven suspects were identified by police to be involved and most of them were apprehended on 16 September and detained at Jinjang Police Station lock-up.[14] Survivors were detained at the Ministry of Defence tent set outside the madrasa before being placed in secret premises around Keramat earlier on 15 September. The number of survivors was also kept confidential. Only the closest relatives were allowed to enter the premises to protect them from being approached by the public. Kuala Lumpur Police Chief Amar Singh concluded in a special press conference that the suspects were believed to have committed the crime out of revenge due to incidents of taunts among the students of the madrasa and the suspects. According to him, six out of seven suspects tested positive for drugs and two of them had previous criminal records relating to the offence of rioting and stealing vehicles. All suspects were aged between 11 and 18 years old.[2][3] On August 17, 2020, Muhammad Adli Shah Bin Mohd Yusry was found guilty of 23 counts of murder and was sentenced to detention at the pleasure of the Yang-Dipertuan Agong.[15]

Reactions

The tragedy gained considerable attention among the government, the public as well as media abroad. Al Jazeera described the incident as "the most devastating fire in Malaysia since the beginning of the year".[16]

Government

The tragedy has been widely covered by leaders from both sides of the parties. Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Sultan Muhammad V and Prime Minister Najib Razak visited the scene.[17] Najib has sent condolences to all victims involved and urged all madrasa to comply with safety standards and regulations to ensure similar incidents do not recur in the future.[18][19] Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi was the first to arrive at the scene in the afternoon after the incident. He mentioned the lack of control and training of madrasas that led to various incidents such as fires, tortures and the opening of illegal madrasas as well the appointment of teachers without any legal certification or qualification. Former Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad expressed his disappointment as the incident seemed to indicate that no lesson was taken from a similar incident in 1989.[20]

See also

References

  1. ^ Muzliza Mustafa (16 September 2017). "Tahfiz school blaze also a murder case, says KL police chief". The Malaysian Insight. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b Abdul Hakim Rahman; Hafiz Marzukhi (16 September 2017). "Akibat ejek-mengejek, pusat tahfiz dibakar" (in Malay). Astro Awani. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Malaysia school fire: Seven youths arrested over blaze were 'mocked by students', police say". ABC. 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  4. ^ Kalidevi Mogan Kumarappa (16 September 2017). "Dendam sampai bakar tahfiz" (in Malay). Harian Metro. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  5. ^ Nadirah H. Rodzi (16 September 2017). "Malaysia religious school fire motivated by revenge, seven teenagers arrested". The Straits Times. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  6. ^ a b Rozanna Latiff; A. Ananthalakshmi (14 September 2017). "Boys 'cried from barred windows' as Islamic school blaze kills 23 in Malaysia". Reuters. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  7. ^ a b Salhan K. Ahmad; King Chai Woon; Sandi Sidhu (14 September 2017). "21 children, 2 adults killed in fire at Malaysian school". CNN. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  8. ^ Roslan, Faisza (18 September 2017). "Gara-Gara Berebut Gelanggang Futsal, Mangsa Kebakaran Tak Sempat Merasa Pindah Tempat Baru". SAYS (in Malay). Archived from the original on 22 November 2017. Retrieved 16 May 2023.
  9. ^ "Pusat tahfiz terbakar: 23 maut, empat serius". Bernama (in Malay). Astro Awani. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  10. ^ "Senarai mangsa terkorban dalam kebakaran pusat tahfiz" (in Malay). Berita Harian. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  11. ^ "Senarai mangsa terkorban". Utusan Malaysia (in Malay). 14 September 2017. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  12. ^ "Litar pintas dipercayai punca kebakaran [METROTV]". Bernama (in Malay). Harian Metro. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  13. ^ Kalidevi Mogan Kumarappa (16 September 2017). "Cari pembeli petrol" (in Malay). Harian Metro. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  14. ^ a b Safeek Affendy Razali; Nor Azizah Mokhtar; Siti Azila Alias; Fazrik Kamarudin (16 September 2017). "Kebakaran pusat tahfiz, 7 ditahan" (in Malay). Berita Harian. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  15. ^ "Pendakwa Raya lwn Muhammad Adli Shah Bin Mohd Yusry". Scribd. Retrieved 14 September 2023.
  16. ^ "Kebakaran pusat tahfiz disifatkan paling dahsyat - Media antarabangsa". Bernama (in Malay). Astro Awani. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  17. ^ "Agong Berangkat Melawat Pusat Tahfiz Darul Quran Ittifaqiyyah" (in Malay). Bernama. 15 September 2017. Archived from the original on 16 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  18. ^ "PM rakam rasa sedih, takziah kepada keluarga mangsa kebakaran tahfiz". Bernama (in Malay). Astro Awani. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  19. ^ "Kebakaran pusat tahfiz: Ambil iktibar agar tidak berulang - PM Najib" (in Malay). Astro Awani. 14 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
  20. ^ "After Malaysia fire, outrage over unregulated religious schools". Bangkok Post. Reuters. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 16 September 2017.
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