Parent Sues International School For Allegedly Operating Pj Campus Illegally

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The five defendants filed a memorandum of appearance at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court on Wednesday.
PETALING JAYA: An international school with several campuses in Kuala Lumpur and Selangor has entered an appearance to defend a lawsuit brought by a parent who alleges that one of its campuses was operating illegally.
The five defendants – the school, its principal and three directors – filed a memorandum of appearance at the Kuala Lumpur sessions court yesterday.
The suit was brought by parent Nor Hashiba Che Li @Che Ismail.
The plaintiff’s lawyer, Jonathan Khaw of Messrs Chern & Co, told FMT that the court has fixed March 24 for case management.
Nor Hashiba wants the sessions court to declare that the school’s campus in Petaling Jaya was unlicensed and operating illegally, in breach of the Education Act 1996 and other relevant laws.
In her statement of claim, the plaintiff has sought a declaration that the principal had falsely assured parents, including the plaintiff, that its PJ campus was legitimate.
She also asked for the court to declare that the directors had knowingly permitted, facilitated and benefited from the alleged illegal operation of the school’s PJ campus.
Nor Hashiba also wants a refund of the RM65,000 she paid, comprising RM60,000 in tuition fees paid and RM5,000 in security deposit — along with compensation for costs incurred to transfer her child to another school. She is also claiming an unspecified sum as general, aggravated and exemplary damages.
The plaintiff first enrolled her autistic son with the school at its Subang Jaya campus in 2021, in light of its suitability for children with special needs.
She later transferred her child to the school’s campus in PJ in April 2024, purportedly on the advice of the school’s representatives.
However, she began to have concerns about the legitimacy of the school’s PJ campus after observing that it was located in an industrial area with heavy vehicles constantly passing by, and lacked proper signage.
“On multiple occasions, the plaintiff raised these concerns with the first and second defendants (the school and its principal), requesting clarification on the school’s registration status and safety protocols,” the filing read.
“However, the first and second defendants as well as their representatives failed to provide a satisfactory response and/or documentation confirming compliance with education regulations.”
She claimed that she contacted the education ministry and was informed by an officer that the PJ campus was unregistered and did not receive approval to operate as a school.
Nor Hashiba also claimed that she had reached out to the Petaling Jaya City Council and was told that the school had been denied planning permission and was operating illegally as it was situated on industrial land.
She alleged that upon confronting the school and requesting to withdraw her child, they denied that he was ever enrolled there and refused to provide a full refund of the school fees and deposit.
The parent also claimed that the principal had defamed her by circulating a letter to school staff, parents, and others, accusing her of harassment and misconduct. - FMT

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