GEORGE TOWN: Security cameras in schools are among measures being introduced to improve student safety, said Lim Hui Ying.
The Deputy Women, Family and Community Development Minister said 75 closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras had been installed at three secondary schools in her Tanjong constituency that previously lacked sufficient coverage.
The RM95,000 project covered camera installations at SM Westlands, St Xavier’s Institution and SMKA (P) Al-Mashoor.
She said two other secondary schools in the constituency – Hutchings Form Six College and Methodist Girls’ School – already had CCTV systems that complied with Education Ministry guidelines.
“Apart from the home, schools should be a safe place for students,” she said after the Zero Tolerance for Violence: Respect the Boundaries programme at SMKA (P) Al-Mashoor here yesterday.
Lim said the CCTV initiative was carried out in collaboration with the Timur Laut Education Office.
“We will do as much as possible to ensure our students are not only safe, but are provided with a conducive environment in which to learn,” she said.
Lim emphasised the government’s ongoing commitment to safeguarding children and adolescents against violence and harassment.
She said the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act 2022 (Act 840) provided a framework to address sexual harassment and strengthen protection for victims.
The Act established the Tribunal for Anti-Sexual Harassment, which gives victims an alternative avenue to seek redress through a simpler, faster and more affordable process than conventional legal channels.
About 350 Form Three students from 14 secondary schools in the Timur Laut district attended the programme.
A similar programme was held at SMJK Chung Ling in Butterworth on Tuesday.
The initiative educates students on personal boundaries and empowers them to recognise and report sexual harassment.
