Teacher moved out while molest probe is under way
By KANG SOON CHEN
educate@thestar.com.my

PUTRAJAYA: The disciplinary teacher, who allegedly molested 11 Form Three female students in Ampang, has been transferred out with immediate effect.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said it was best for the teacher to be removed from the school while police investigations were under way.

“Under the ministry’s guidelines, teachers cannot touch any body part of a female student when meting out punishment,” he said after meeting several parties, including Hulu Langat district education officers, Teratai assemblyman Jenice Lee, the affected students and their parents at his office yesterday.

He added that a witness must be present when the punishment was carried out.

In the incident last Friday, the students claimed that they were caned and molested by the teacher.

It was reported that they were caught along with two male classmates in a classroom during the school assembly, and taken to the school’s disciplinary room.

One of the female students said the teacher caned the male students on the buttocks and told them to leave the room before drawing the curtain.

“Before he caned the first female student, he felt her wrist for her pulse and commented that her heartbeat was too fast,” she alleged.

The teacher then related an incident in which a student he had caned fainted because his heart was beating too fast.

“The teacher then proceeded to put his hand on our chests, one-by-one, on the pretext of making sure that our heartbeats were all right before caning us on our palms,” she claimed, adding that she was allegedly touched on the chest more than three times.

It was also alleged that the teacher slipped his hand into their pockets to “check” whether they brought mobile phones to school.

The students later alerted their parents who informed the school authorities. The parents sought Lee’s assistance who helped them lodge a police report.

“We decided to go to the police because the school authorities re­­fused to take action,” Lee claimed.

Dr Wee has instructed the district education office and school authorities to provide counselling to the students, who had been traumatised by the incident.

He added that the affected students were also given the option of transferring to another school if they did not want to continue their studies in the same school.

Dr Wee said the teacher had crossed the line based on the complaints by the students.