Malaysia’s Education Ministry has called on school administrators, district education offices, and state education departments to act swiftly on complaints involving misconduct, especially sexual harassment of students [1, 2, 3]. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek emphasized that such complaints must not be ignored or only addressed after cases become viral on social media. "When a child complains of being sexually harassed, parents must act, teachers must act, and the matter must be reported to the authorities," she said [1].
Minister Fadhlina urged that investigation should start immediately once a complaint is received. Appropriate follow-up must include filing police reports, providing protection through the Social Welfare Department, and arranging health examinations where needed [1, 2, 3]. She warned against using social media to report these crimes, saying, "It does not lead anywhere. Reporting to the authorities is an action, and what we need now is action" [2].
The Education Ministry has introduced Safe School Guidelines and a Student Protection Policy aimed at safeguarding student safety [2, 3]. The Sarawak Education Department is cooperating with authorities in an ongoing investigation into an alleged teacher sexual misconduct case that recently went viral on social media [2, 3]. The Ministry’s Integrity Unit and Inspectorate of Schools are conducting internal inquiries linked to this case [2]. The police have launched investigations into reported sexual misconduct in schools more broadly [2, 3].
Beyond sexual misconduct, the Ministry is investigating a separate bullying case involving a Year Six student in Perlis and has referred the case to authorities. Minister Fadhlina said, "We will not compromise on issues of bullying, and firm action will be taken against any party found to be involved," promising transparent, credible investigations [3]. She also highlighted that teachers have legal protection, including cases where discipline teachers are assaulted while on duty [3].
On June 13, 2026, at an event in George Town where she also handed over the approval letter for a new SJKC Heng Ee building, Minister Fadhlina publicly urged vigilance and timely action on sexual misconduct complaints, underlining the ministry’s commitment to student safety and discipline [2, 3].
The Education Ministry continues internal and police investigations and calls on the public to report incidents directly to authorities, reinforcing the priority of immediate and thorough responses to all complaints.
