Education Ministry views rape cases involving minors seriously, says Fadhlina

KUALA KANGSAR: The Education Ministry views seriously the increase in rape cases involving minors over the past few years, says Fadhlina Sidek.

The Education Minister said that the ministry implemented preventative measures against the issue, including cross-ministerial collaboration with the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry and the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) to carry out advocacy related to sexual harassment.

Among other measures, she said, was adding value to the guidelines for the management of sexual harassment in educational institutions as well as training, including the emphasis on advocacy for all teachers.

"At the school level, we reaffirm anti-sexual harassment management, processes, complaints, and actions that must be taken immediately as soon as teachers are aware of the incidents.

"That's why I think that a commitment from all parties including parents is crucial, to ensure that the family is safe.

"The family must be safe first, then at the school level we will usually be the place to get those complaints,” she said when met by reporters here Tuesday (May 7).

Therefore, Fadhlina said she believes preparation at the school level is crucial, especially in training teachers and also the awareness that needs to exist among teachers, besides not compromising on the issue and the perpetrators involved.

She said this when asked about Monday's (May 6) media reports on Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain's statement on the rise in the number of rape cases involving minors over the past few years.

Earlier, Fadhlina officiated at the "Islah dan Tajdid Dalam Pemikiran Datuk Dr Siddiq Fadzil" programme at Universiti Sultan Azlan Shah here.

Fadhlina expressed hope that the seminar today could reassert several aspects, especially related to the 3R (royalty, religion and race) issues, which are being played up by irresponsible parties.

Tuesday's seminar also aims to commemorate the services and dedication of Siddiq, a religious figure who died on Aug 31, 2021, due to a lung infection. He was 74.

Siddiq was appointed as a member of the Perak Islamic Religious Council and Malay Customs from 1992 until 2000. - Bernama