NUTP president: We are against any form of sexual harassment

PETALING JAYA: The National Union of Teaching Profession (NUTP) strongly objects against any form of sexual harassment, says its president Aminuddin Awang.

He said if an incident has happened, the victim must bring the issue to justice.

“Although our secretary-general Harry Tan does not agree with the National School Walkout Day 2021, which was sponsored by some non-governmental organisations, it does not mean that the NUTP supports any issues related to sexual harassment in schools.

“There are 450,000 teachers in schools across our country and it is not fair for any party to generally point fingers at our teachers in matters relating to sexual harassment.

“Our teachers are trained, dedicated, disciplined, committed and work hard for our students, ” he said in a statement on Friday (May 7).

Earlier, Tan apologised for not making the union’s stand clear, admitting that his response in a recent interview was “insensitive”.

“Please accept my sincere apology. Neither me nor the NUTP would ever support any teacher who perpetrates the systemic nature of sexual harassment, rape and abuse in schools," he said.

“The point I was trying to make was that the majority of the country’s 450,000 teachers are dedicated, hardworking and caring educators. Unfortunately, that did not come across clearly, ” added Tan.

Asked about allegations against him on Twitter, Tan denied any wrongdoing.

“If these allegations are true, please make a police report and let the law take its course.”

On Thursday (May 6), Awani had posted a video of their interview with Tan asking whether the NUTP is concerned about abuse allegations in schools.

In response, he asked the hosts whether sexual abuse allegations in schools are a widespread problem and then for data and how many schools are involved.

A petition has been launched as a result, calling for his resignation as the NUTP secretary-general.

Additionally, several social media users who claimed to be Tan’s former students alleged that he had made sexist remarks and watched inappropriate videos during their lessons.