Teacher’s 29-year lie exposed

Man found to have landed his job using a fake MyKad

KOTA KINABALU: He worked at a secondary school for 29 years – first as a substitute teacher and then as a full staff member.

But no one at SMK Kemabong in Tenom knew his secret: Ridal Abdul Kadir, 54, is not a citizen, and the identity card he had used to get the job is a fake one.

Yesterday, he was sentenced to 10 months in prison and fined RM6,000 by the Keningau Magistrates’ Court for using the fake document.Ridal, who is believed to have been born in Sabah, was charged with using a fake identification card to apply for the job as a teacher in 1994.

According to the facts of the case, Ridal has a temporary identity card issued by the National Registration Department (NRD), which displays his status as a temporary resident.

He later obtained a fake identity card, which states that he is a Malaysian citizen.

After receiving a complaint about the matter, NRD officers conducted an inspection of his documents at SMK Kemabong at about 11.30am on Jan 29.

He was then taken into custody.

During the proceedings yesterday, NRD prosecuting officer Mohd Naser Mohd Nadzeri asked for a deterrent sentence based on public interest and social justice.

He emphasised that having a counterfeit identity document as such is unethical and irresponsible.Ridal’s lawyer, Korventt Wheezar, however, sought leniency for his client.

Korventt noted that throughout his 29 years of teaching at the school, Ridal had a clean record and had consistently displayed good behaviour.