It is misguided for the government to shift blame to plaintiffs or their counsel in the absent teacher case regarding the RM150,000 court-ordered damages, as the onus of payment fell on the former to ensure the damages are paid, said lawyer Sherzali Herza Asli.

Sherzali, who appeared for the plaintiffs Rusiah Sabdarin, Nur Natasha Allisya Hamali, and Calvina Angayung, who sued their teacher for absenteeism in 2020, said the government made a conscious decision not to appeal the Kota Kinabalu High Court’s order, which, therefore, they accepted the decision in full.