SANDAKAN – Ridal Abdul Kadir, the secondary school teacher in Tenom recently convicted for using a fake identity card, has been backed up by former students and peers who remember him as a committed and industrious educator.
The 53-year-old was sentenced yesterday to 10 months in prison and fined RM6,000 for the fraudulent use of a fake IC throughout his 29-year teaching career.
Despite the shocking revelation of a foreign national serving as a government servant for over two decades, Ridal’s former students and colleagues took to social media to express their positive experiences with the teacher, highlighting his significant contributions to education in Keningau and Tenom.
According to a source close to Ridal, he was a science and mathematics teacher who also took on additional responsibilities due to a shortage of religious teachers at the school.
“Ridal also often became the imam and gave religious talks. Other than that, he was also very active in sports (education) and had led students to compete in national-level sports championships in track and field and volleyball,” the source said.
The source said he felt sorry for Ridal when he saw negative comments on Facebook about the teacher by those who did not know him.
“It was as if he was really despicable when that is far from the truth,” he said.
Meanwhile, in the comments section of a Facebook page that posted about the news of Ridal’s sentence, user Danevond C. Gissong said Ridal was a dedicated and highly committed coach in school volleyball and athletics.
Ridal’s former student, Jobrey Lambar, thanked Ridal for teaching him mathematics and helping him score an A in the subject.
“He was very kind, and his teaching method was very good. I will continue his legacy in mathematics. I hope that teacher will remain strong,” he said.
User Enzana Tay said Ridal was a friendly teacher who would crack jokes to make his students laugh.
“Maybe (what he did) was a mistake, but we will always remember his contributions,” she said.
User Safri Md Yussof said Ridal had taught him how to read the Quran. He asked social media users to refrain from using harsh words when commenting about the educator.
User Intan Christina said Ridal was a good teacher who not only contributed to the school but also to the community by educating children in religious schools.
“Our prayers as your former students will always be with you. We hope everything goes smoothly,” she said.
According to the facts of the case, on January 29, a document inspection was conducted at the school’s teachers’ quarters, leading to the accused being arrested on suspicion of possessing a fake identity card under the name “Ridal Bin Abdul Kadir.”
A review of records found that Ridal possessed a temporary resident identification document with the same number and name issued by the National Registration Department, and his birth certificate showed he was a non-citizen.
Ridal’s personal Facebook account stated that he had graduated from Maktab Perguruan Keningau, now known as Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Keningau.
Ridal’s case opened discussions about possible loopholes in the government’s system, especially when it comes to the employment process for civil servants, particularly in the education sector in Sabah.
Scoop is reaching out to Sabah Education exco Datuk Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif and the Sabah Teachers’ Union for their views on the matter. – February 24, 2024