A man whose teenage son attempted suicide after being snared in a religious tussle, has refuted a Malay daily’s report claiming that he received aid from Baitulmal, an assistance given to needy Muslims.

 

S Ganesan, whose son G Thiyaggurudeen consumed highly toxic weed killer paraquat last month, said he had lodged a police report against the daily over the “false” report.

 

"There was an article in which the Negeri Sembilan menteri besar said I received Baitulmal from the state. That article is false," Ganesan told Malaysiakini .

 

He was referring to an April 5 article detailing MB Mohamad Hassan's response to the boy’s suicide attempt.

 

"The boy is Muslim and his father is also a Muslim. In fact, his father to this day is a Baitulmal beneficiary," Mohamad is quoted as saying.

 

Ganesan claimed the daily had previously published another article, quoting the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department (Jheains) as saying he was a zakat recipient.

 

He told Malaysiakini that he too had filed a police report against the daily.

 

Ganesan is a Hindu but his son Thiyaggurudeen is registered a Muslim, as his mother is a Muslim Indonesian.

 

The father had applied to the Syariah Court to change Thiyaggurudeen's religion, but was told that he must wait until the boy is 18.

 

Multiple police reports

 

Thiyaggurdeen in an earlier police report claimed his teachers and Jheains officers detained him at an Islamic missionary centre on Feb 13, and forced him to lodge a police report against his father.

 

A month later, the boy attempted suicide by drinking paraquat mixed with coffee, allegedly due to fear he would be held at the missionary centre again.

 

He was recently discharged from a private medical centre with a clean bill of health.

                   

Ganesan, has lodged multiple police reports over the alleged detention and suicide attempt, blaming the boy's teachers and Jheains officers for his son's mental trauma .

Negeri Sembilan police chief Jaafar Mohd Yusof however told Malaysiakini on March 24 that police would not investigate the matter because it was “ complicated ”.

 

Jaafar said the matter was between the Social Welfare Department, the Negeri Sembilan Islamic Affairs Department and the family.