A robust man walked to his cubicle and placed his bag on the desk.
It was Ustaz Fahim.
He had just returned from the Program Transformasi Minda (PTM)—a compulsory week-long course for newly appointed teachers seeking confirmation of service.
His gaze stopped at the corner of his desk.
It was empty.
His brows slowly furrowed.
"...So they never submitted my work while I was away?"
He remained silent for a moment.
The disappointment lingered, but there was only one way to find out.
He turned and headed towards 3 Hikmah.
9:00 a.m.
Pendidikan Islam
3 Hikmah
Ustaz Fahim entered the classroom with a straight face.
The students greeted him softly.
"Assalamualaikum, ustaz."
He placed his books on the teacher's table.
"Before we begin..."
"I expected to receive something from all of you today."
Silence.
His eyes swept across the classroom.
Nothing.
"I don't see it."
The room grew tense.
His breathing gradually became heavier.
The frustration from earlier that morning resurfaced all at once.
His grip tightened around the broom leaning against the wall.
For a split second, he raised it—
Then he froze.
"...No."
He immediately lowered it and stepped away.
Without another word, he hurried out of the classroom and headed towards the surau.
Once he was alone...
He let out a scream.
With trembling hands, Fahim reached for his phone and called a fellow teacher, Kasim.
He could barely get the words out.
"Kasim..."
"...it's happening again."
Across the school, Kasim was in the middle of a Physical Education lesson, supervising a volleyball activity.
The moment Fahim's custom ringtone played, his expression changed.
He turned to another teacher nearby.
"Please watch the class for a moment."
Without waiting another second, he sprinted towards the surau.
Kasim found Fahim lying on the carpet, his body trembling as he struggled to catch his breath.
"Him..."
Kasim knelt beside him, keeping his voice calm.
"I'm here."
He gently rested a hand on Fahim's shoulder.
"Take your time. You're safe."
"My class..." Fahim whispered between breaths.
"It triggered it..."
"I... I'm relapsing."
Kasim nodded.
"I know."
"Don't fight it."
"Just stay with me."
He waited until Fahim looked towards him.
"Can you tell me five things you can see?"
Fahim's eyes wandered around the surau.
"...The prayer mat."
"...The window."
"...The fan."
"...Your watch."
"...The Qur'an shelf."
"Good," Kasim replied.
"Now, four things you can touch."
Little by little, Fahim's breathing began to slow.
"I'm right here."
"We'll get through this together."
During recess, Principal Jacob was informed about Fahim's panic attack.
"Allegedly, the missing submission triggered it," Kasim explained.
Jacob sighed.
"I can't say I'm surprised. It's difficult for any teacher when their hard work goes unacknowledged."
Kasim nodded.
"Fahim is in the staff room now. The senior teachers are with him."
"He has only just become a permanent teacher," Jacob said quietly.
"I'll check on 3 Hikmah first."
With that, Kasim excused himself and headed to the classroom to speak with the students.
Jacob remained in his office for a moment before reaching for his phone.
He dialled Rozman's number at PPDKB.
"Rozman, I need your intervention."
"I'm concerned this has gone beyond an internal school matter."
Back at PPDKB, Rozman and Izhan were making the final preparations for the district's monthly assembly.
A knock came from the door.
"Come in," Rozman called.
It was Azimah, the District Counsellor.
"I've completed my section for the previous SISPAA reports," she said, placing the files on Rozman's desk.
Rozman flipped through them with a nod.
"Thank you."
Azimah glanced at the reports from the earlier cases.
"I noticed several of the intervention methods were... rather unconventional."
"They were," Rozman replied with a smile.
"But the boss approved every one of them."
He turned towards Izhan.
"Most of those ideas came from her."
Izhan gave an awkward smile.
"Just trying to help."
Azimah looked at the intern for a moment before returning her gaze to Rozman.
"I see."
There was nothing impolite in her reply.
Yet somehow...
It didn't sound approving either.
Rozman's phone vibrated.
Principal Jacob.
He excused himself and answered the call.
After a brief conversation, he returned to the office.
"Looks like we've got another complaint."
Before anyone could ask further, Krishna walked out of his office with a travel bag over his shoulder.
"As everyone knows, I'll be attending the All-Malaysia District Education Officers' Conference in Terengganu this week."
"Leaving now, sir?" Azimah asked.
Krishna nodded.
"Iskandar will oversee the office while I'm away."
He then looked at Rozman and Izhan.
"As for any complaints, gather as much evidence and as many statements as possible."
"I'll endorse the reports remotely."
Rozman nodded.
"Understood."
Krishna grinned.
"Right, Rosie?"
He gave Rozman a playful wink.
Izhan quickly looked away, trying to suppress her laughter.
Rozman merely sighed.
"You really have to stop calling me that."
"I don't."
Krishna picked up his luggage and walked towards the exit.
Behind them, Azimah silently watched the exchange.
She couldn't understand how the District Education Officer could be so informal with his officers.
Rozman picked up his car keys before looking around the office.
"We have a new case."
The room fell silent.
"The complaint involves a teacher who suffered a panic attack in the middle of class."
Azimah raised her hand.
"May I join the investigation this time?"
Rozman looked at her.
"The teacher will likely need counselling support," she explained. "I may be able to assist."
Her eyes then shifted briefly towards Izhan.
"And... what will our intern's role be?"
Rozman answered without hesitation.
"She's part of my investigation team."
"If we need another perspective, I'll be asking for hers."
Izhan nodded, saying nothing.
A short while later, the trio arrived at SMK Arcadia.
Principal Jacob was already waiting outside the administration block.
"Rozman!"
The two men exchanged a warm embrace.
"It's good to see you again."
Rozman laughed.
"Likewise, Jacob the Midfielder."
Jacob shook his head with a grin.
"You still remember that nickname?"
"How could I forget? You never stopped running during our football matches."
Their exchange was friendly, though far less awkward than Krishna calling Rozman "Rosie" every chance he got.
The group gathered in the principal's office.
Ustaz Fahim was already waiting inside.
Principal Jacob gestured towards him.
"There's Ustaz Fahim."
"Assalamualaikum, Tuan Rozman," Fahim greeted politely.
"Waalaikumsalam," Rozman replied with a reassuring smile.
"How are you feeling today, Fahim?"
Fahim paused before answering.
"...Controlled."
The room fell silent for a brief moment.
It was an unusual choice of words.
Most people would have answered, " Fine " or "better".
Izhan quietly noted it down.
Controlled.
Not recovered.
Not okay.
Just... controlled.
Rozman listened carefully but did not interrupt.
"Are you currently receiving any support or treatment?"
Fahim nodded slowly.
"I have follow-up appointments at Hospital Bukit Padang."
Azimah wrote it down.
"Thank you for sharing that with me."
She paused.
"Can I ask... were there any previous diagnoses or recommendations from your doctor that you are comfortable sharing?"
Fahim lowered his gaze.
"Major depressive disorder... and anxiety."
The room became quiet.
Izhan noticed how Fahim chose his words carefully.
He was not trying to gain sympathy.
He was explaining a situation he had been carrying for some time.
Azimah closed her notebook.
"Thank you for trusting us with this information."
"Now we can understand the situation better and determine what support you need."
Izhan observed Fahim.
His hands were slightly trembling.
His eyebrows twitched whenever the questions became heavier.
She had seen something similar before.
During a stressful Google Meet, Krishna had displayed small facial tics while trying to manage multiple problems at once.
Stress showed itself differently in everyone.
Azimah continued her questioning.
"Fahim, are you aware that if this condition continues to affect your ability to perform your duties, there may be further administrative action taken?"
Fahim froze.
He did not expect the conversation to take that direction.
"Administrative action?"
Azimah remained calm.
"I'm not saying this will happen. I'm explaining the possible process if a person's condition affects their work over a prolonged period."
Fahim lowered his gaze.
Rozman noticed his reaction.
Something felt wrong.
The purpose of this visit was supposed to be understanding the situation and finding support.
Not making someone feel like they had already failed.
There had to be another way.
The investigation Continued
Comments (0)
See all