The suspect has been removed from the school.
Cover image via John Bunyan/Malay Mail & Canva
A senior assistant at a primary school has been arrested for allegedly sexually harassing a 12-year-old student in Ipoh, Perak
Perak police chief Datuk Azizi Mat Aris stated that the 37-year-old teacher was taken into custody on 11 October after the victim's mother lodged a report.
"The 47-year-old mother reported that her daughter was hugged and kissed on the lips by the teacher.
"She also said the suspect sent indecent pictures to her daughter," he said during a press conference at the Perak Police Headquarters, as reported by Malay Mail.
Azizi disclosed that preliminary investigations suggest the teacher had been regularly harassing the girl during his eight months at the school.
"For now, there is only one victim. We will investigate if there are any other incidents," Azizi said when asked if more victims had come forward, adding that the suspect has no prior criminal record
The suspect is currently being held under remand for six days, until 17 October, as investigations continue under Section 14(A) of the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017. If convicted, the teacher could face up to 20 years in prison and whipping.
Following the arrest, Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh responded by confirming that the suspect was immediately removed from the school
Wong stressed the importance of protecting the victim and urged the public to respect her privacy.
"The Education Department has taken swift action by removing the individual implicated from the school," Wong said in a Facebook post, adding that the victim would not be transferred to another school. The Perak Education Department has also launched its own investigation into the case.
This incident has raised concerns about student safety and prompted calls for stricter safeguarding measures in schools to prevent future occurrences.
If you or someone you know may be at risk or has experienced sexual abuse or assault, please reach out to these Malaysian organisations:
1. WOMEN'S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Operating hours: 24-hour
Contact: +603-30008858
SMS/WhatsApp: +6018-9888058
Website | Facebook | Twitter
2. ALL WOMEN'S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9.30am - 5.30pm)
Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp/Telegram: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
3. WOMEN'S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4180342
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday (7pm - 9pm),Tuesday to Thursday (9.30am - 11.30am), Saturday (2pm - 4pm)
Contact: +6082-368853
SMS/WhatsApp: +6016-5822660 | +6013-8044285
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
5. SABAH WOMEN'S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am - 5pm)
Contact: +6088-280200 | +6011-27908020
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
6. PROTECT AND SAVE THE CHILDREN (PS THE CHILDREN)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (3pm - 12am)
WhatsApp: +6016-7213065
Email: [email protected]
Website | Facebook | Twitter
7. INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION (IWF)
Anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images with IWF's Reporting Portal.
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