The 7-year-old pupil of a private Islamic religious school who slipped into a coma after allegedly being beaten up by his teacher died yesterday.
Saiful Syazani Saiful Sopfidee, who suffered internal bleeding in the head and heart complications, succumbed to his injuries about 8.30am at Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital in Alor Star.
In the incident last Thursday at Sekolah Agama Rakyat Jejawi in Perlis, Saiful was allegedly assaulted by a 26-year-old male teacher after he was accused of stealing RM7 from his classmate.
It was learnt that the boy's hands were tied to a window of the school hostel when he was hit by the teacher for two hours from 7pm onwards.
He was admitted to Tuanku Fauziah Hospital about 1.40am on Friday before he was transferred to Sultanah Bahiyah Hospital's intensive care unit the same day.
The teacher, who is also the warden, surrendered at a police station here on Friday after Saiful's father, Saiful Sopfidee Marzuki, 34, lodged a report at Alor Star police station on Friday night.
State Education director Mansor Lat said the case was not under the department's jurisdiction as it involved a private school.
"Let the police do their job. However, we are saddened by this incident. It should not have happened at all."
The school headmaster, Yaakub Abu Soman, declined to comment and said he would hold a press conference after the remand order against the teacher ended.
District police chief Superintendent Mohd Nadzri Hussain said the remand order, which expires today, would be extended as the case was being investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Saiful was buried at the Tok Paduk Muslim cemetery here last night.
