KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry will investigate student safety and welfare cases promptly.
Minister Fadhlina Sidek said incidents at boarding schools receive immediate attention and action from the authorities.
She referred to a case of a student falling from the second floor of a school building.
“The matter was investigated thoroughly to identify the source and implement improvements,” she said.
“The safety and welfare of students are the ministry’s priority, and we will not compromise. The ministry will never delay any investigation involving student safety,” added Fadhlina in a written reply published on Oct 28.
Fadhlina said a police report has been lodged and an investigation paper opened under Section 31(1) of the Children Act 2001.
She added that the ministry is giving full cooperation throughout the investigation.
“The principal, senior assistant for student affairs and the head warden have been reassigned to the Sabak Bernam District Education Office,” she said.
“They will remain there until the investigation is completed,” added Fadhlina.
She said the ministry has conducted inspections and an internal probe to review compliance with standard operating procedures.
Fadhlina said a task force war room convenes daily to monitor pupil health, safety management, discipline and risk communication.
She said the school has taken immediate corrective action on infrastructure and facility safety.
“According to the latest report, the pupil is recovering well. He has been discharged from hospital and is now at home,” she added.
Fadhlina said the ministry has clear mechanisms to ensure a safe school environment.
She cited Professional Circular Letter No. 4 of 2002 on the Safe School Programme and added that a a Special Committee on Educational Institution Safety Reform has been formed.
Members include academic experts, agencies, NGOs and stakeholders such as UNICEF, NUTP and universities.
The committee has met twice this year to propose improvements to the Safe School Programme.
She added that a safety audit covered 735 schools from Sept 19 to Sept 26, 2025.
“These audits cover fully residential schools, daily hostels and day schools,” she said.
“They focus on SOP compliance such as warden rosters, complaint monitoring, warden numbers, night lighting and CCTV,” added Fadhlina.
She said there are also surprise visits by senior ministry leaders, state directors and district officers.
These include night visits to assess hostel SOP compliance.
Following Budget 2026, the ministry allocates RM3mil to install CCTV in 200 hostels starting October 13.
“The placement of CCTV cameras is based on advice from the Office of the Chief Government Security Officer,” she said.
