KOTA KINABALU: Three former students of SMK Taun Gusi in Kota Belud are still waiting for the government to settle RM150,000 in court-ordered damages more than two years after a High Court ruling in their favour.
The students, Rusiah Sabdarin, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali, and Calvina Angayung, had sued in 2023 after persistent teacher absenteeism disrupted their schooling and left them without proper lessons.
Their lawyer, Sherzali Herza Asli, said the government has not appealed the decision, has not paid the damages, and has no stay of execution order in place.
He said the prolonged inaction reflects a system struggling to uphold integrity and reform, noting that the widely discussed Reformasi under the Madani administration has yet to be felt in rural classrooms.
The case, which became known as the "Tiada Guru" case, renewed attention on teacher absenteeism, highlighted systemic gaps across Sabah’s rural schools, and underscored the High Court’s finding that the students’ constitutional right to education had been violated.
