The Wrong Kind of Spirit in Secondary School

2009/07/28

JOHOR BARU: The Education Ministry is seeking the help of the Johor mufti and religious authorities to deal with hysteria at a secondary school here.

Deputy Minister Datuk Wee Ka Siong said the state Education Department wanted advice on alleged supernatural occurrences at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Daya 2.

The school had reported several cases of hysteria among its students since April. Some students screamed and fainted after they allegedly saw apparitions.

Wee said the school experienced its latest case yesterday and 10 students were brought to the surau to be calmed down.

"The state education authorities are getting the cooperation of the state Religious Department in this matter, while the ministry will refer the cases to psychiatrists, a psychiatric association and traditional healers," he said after a briefing on the influenza A (H1N1) situation in schools at the Johor Education Department here.


"We will find the best solution for this. It does not matter whether it is a scientific or non-scientific approach."

Wee also said the state Education Department would look into a case involving 345 students of SMK Tun Mamat, Tangkak who suffered from food poisoning last week.