Stop transferring problematic teachers between schools, says MCA Wanita

 

WANITA MCA has called on the Ministry of Education (MOE) to immediately stop the practice of transferring teachers accused of sexual misconduct to other schools, following allegations that such actions may have exposed more students to potential harm.

Its national chairperson, Datuk Wong You Fong, said the practice represented a serious failure of the  education system’s child protection safeguards.

The issue resurfaced after former teacher and education activist Mohd Fadli Salleh alleged that a teacher facing sexual assault accusations had merely been transferred to another school instead of being removed from direct contact with students.

“If these allegations are true, this is a catastrophic failure of our child protection framework. Moving a problematic teacher to another school does not solve the problem. It potentially exposes a new group of students to danger,” Wong said in a statement today.

The controversy comes amid growing public concern over the handling of sexual misconduct allegations involving educators, with critics questioning whether existing disciplinary and investigative procedures adequately prioritise student safety.

Wong urged the MOE to immediately review and strengthen its standard operating procedures involving teachers under investigation for paedophilia, molestation or sexual assault.

She stressed that educators facing allegations involving student safety should not remain in school environments while investigations are ongoing.

“Any teacher under investigation for endangering students should be removed from classrooms immediately and reassigned to administrative duties at District Education Offices or State Education Departments pending the outcome of investigations,” she stressed.

Wong also called for greater transparency in the ministry’s handling of such cases, warning that public confidence in the education system could continue to deteriorate if allegations of cover-ups or weak enforcement persist.

She further urged the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission to investigate whether there had been abuse of power, cronyism or attempts to shield offenders from proper disciplinary action.

“Schools must remain safe spaces for children. Protecting institutional reputations should never take precedence over student safety,” she said, adding that the MOE must act decisively to restore public trust and ensure stronger safeguards are in place to prevent similar incidents from recurring. ‒  Focus Malaysia