1989 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire
 The state of Madrasah Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah in Guar Chempedak, Kedah after it caught fire which claimed the lives of 27 students. | |
| Date | 22 September 1989 |
|---|---|
| Location | Guar Chempedak, Kedah, Malaysia |
| Coordinates | 5°54′00″N 100°26′11″E / 5.9°N 100.43633°E |
| Also known as | 27 Syuhada Peristiwa Kebakaran Pondok Pak Ya (27 Martyrs of the Pondok Pak Ya Fire) |
| Cause | Accident caused by a burning candle that was left alight in the hostel while the students had fallen asleep after studying[1] |
| Deaths | 27 |
The 1989 Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa fire, which occurred on 22 September 1989, was a fire that took place at Taufiqiah Al-Khairiah madrasa (also known as Madrasah Pondok Pak Ya) in Guar Chempedak, Kedah, Malaysia. Around 27 students, mostly girls, were killed in the incident.[2][3]
Background
[edit]The fire at Sekolah Menengah Agama (SMA) Taufiqiah Khairiah Al-Halimiah, also known as Pondok Pak Ya, occurred at approximately 2:30 a.m. Malaysia Standard Time on 22 September 1989. At the time, the female dormitories were illuminated by candles due to a power outage. It is believed that one of the candles accidentally fell and ignited a mattress. The flames quickly spread throughout the wooden structure, engulfing the dormitory while most of the students were asleep.[4]
Eight wooden dormitory blocks were completely destroyed in the fire. A total of 27 female students perished in the incident. They were later buried at a special cemetery site known as "27 Syuhada Peristiwa Kebakaran Pondok Pak Ya" (The 27 Martyrs of the Pondok Pak Ya Fire Tragedy).[4]
Victims
[edit]A total of 27 victims, all women, were killed in the fire.[5]
- Faridah binti Che Daud
- Kamisah binti Sudin
- Norazura binti Abdul Wahab
- Siti Mariam binti Zakaria
- Khairul Asma binti Abdullah
- Faridah binti Baharom
- Mariani binti Lebai Hassan
- Norasmah binti Md. Nor
- Hamidah binti Abd. Hamid
- Asmah binti Osman
- Siti Noraini binti Yaacob
- Rokiah binti Abdullah
- Zuraini binti Md. Fadzil
- Sarina binti Shaari
- Norasiah binti Mehad
- Zaharah binti Ramli
- Asnidar binti Abu Bakar
- Paizah binti Isa
- Nurul Uyun binti Abdullah
- Anisah binti Osman
- Mashitoh binti Yaacob
- Ezzah binti Ismail
- Siti Aishah binti Nayan
- Syafinaz binti Ishak
- Suhaibah binti Mahmud
- Rosnani binti Ismail
- Rohani binti Syaari
Outcome
[edit]The incident drew significant attention from then-Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, who visited the site.[6] A Royal Commission of Inquiry determined that a candle, likely ignited flammable materials, causing the fire that destroyed eight wooden dormitory blocks and killed 27 female students, despite speculation about a gas stove contributing to the blaze. The Malaysian government subsequently mandated enhanced fire safety measures for all boarding schools to prevent future tragedies.[7][6]
Cultural impact
[edit]The incident was featured in an episode of Detik Tragik, a documentary series by TV3 that highlights national disasters. In addition, a dedicated documentary aired on Astro Oasis in December 2013, offering a detailed account of the incident, with a subsequent re-broadcast on Astro Box Office. A dramatized telemovie titled Pondok Pak Ya, directed by Wan Hasliza and produced by Astro, was also released to portray the events leading up to and following the fire.[4]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ Nurliza Elami (18 May 2012). "Ingati syuhada korban kebakaran" (in Malay). Sinar Harian. Archived from the original on 17 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ Chan Kok Leong (14 September 2017). "A fire stoked by silence". The Malaysian Insight. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ "Religious school fire in Kuala Lumpur by no means the first". The Straits Times. 15 September 2017. Retrieved 17 September 2017.
- ^ a b c "Selepas 25 tahun, tragedi kebakaran Pondok Pak Ya masih diingati". Astro Awani. 25 February 2014. Archived from the original on 18 June 2017. Retrieved 18 June 2017.
- ^ Mustakim Ramli, Muhammad (19 September 2019). "'Pedih masih berbekas sehingga kini'". Berita Harian. Retrieved 18 July 2021.
- ^ a b "3 Tragedi Kebakaran Besar Melibatkan Pusat Tahfiz & Rumah Anak Yatim". iluminasi (in Malay). 15 September 2017. Retrieved 6 June 2025.
- ^ TV3MALAYSIA Official (7 June 2018). [FULL] Detik Tragik | Episod 3. Retrieved 6 June 2025 – via YouTube.
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Further reading
[edit]- Tragedi 27 Padang Lumat (in Malay). Al-Jihadi. 1994.
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