Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has issued a stern warning to educators and ministry staff, for them not to take a hands-off attitude regarding sexual harassment offences against school students.
She also stressed that those involved in the misconduct will face action and be fired from their positions.
The Education Ministry is striving to make schools the safest they can be for students, she added.
“I want to warn, if there are (sexual harassment) cases in educational institutions, you touch you go,” said Fadhlina in her speech at the National Convention on the Protection of Pupils from Sexual Exploitation, held in Shah Alam, Selangor.
“We must give the right emphasis so that they understand that we are serious about ensuring that these cases do not happen in our schools. So, you touch you go,” she stressed.
According to Fadhlina, she has personally met victims including students from religious schools.
“When I asked ‘Why did you not inform me that you were being harassed by your ustaz?’ - they answered, ‘Ustaz said if I tell others, the knowledge received will not be blessed. You (victim) must protect the ustaz’s shame because it was the ustaz who gave you the knowledge’,” Fadhlina recalled.
Based on her experience as an activist handling a sexual harassment case involving 20 children in Sarawak eight years ago, Fadhlina stressed that the ministry’s challenge is now greater because they are not only protecting girls but also boys.
As such, Fadhlina said the Education Ministry has launched the Safe Schools Programme which includes providing an environment free from sexual harassment through the introduction of special guidelines.
“This is also included in the context of sports that we do in collaboration with the Youth and Sports Ministry so that students feel safe during sports activities,” she said.
Fadhlina added that the ministry will also add more counsellors to each school in preparation for dealing with cases of sexual harassment and this includes counsellors for special education students. - Mkini
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