BATU PAHAT: Relying solely on human supervision has its limitations, says Datuk Seri Dr Wee Ka Siong, who proposed that schools consider installing CCTV cameras as a practical and affordable deterrent after the death of Form Four student Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal in Yong Peng.
The Ayer Hitam MP said the case was tragic and called for a thorough review of security measures to prevent similar incidents from recurring.
“I am saddened to see this tragedy happen in a school. Although the police are investigating, I feel that we need to further strengthen security at schools, including the care and supervision of students, and monitoring their movements,” he told reporters after visiting Irene Sofiya’s family.
Dr Wee, who is also MCA president, said the authorities should conduct an in-depth study on the practical risks and ways to improve supervision in schools.
He said the issue could also be raised for discussion in the relevant forums, including in Parliament through motions brought before the appropriate platforms.
“This is the third tragedy to have happened in a school in Malaysia. We need to look at what the Education Ministry should do and conduct a thorough study.”
He said schools should consider using technology to complement existing security measures.
“We can use security guards and other measures, but sometimes we also need something like CCTV.”
Dr Wee described CCTV as one of the more practical and affordable measures that could be implemented in schools, noting that schools did not necessarily need sophisticated systems.
“Now, CCTV is relatively cheap.
“This could also act as a deterrent and make monitoring more effective.”
He added that the presence of cameras could itself serve as a deterrent against anyone considering wrongdoing on school premises.
“When people know there are cameras, they will think twice,” he said.
