A religious teacher of a primary school in Sungai Ara in George Town, Penang was detained after police received reports from a few parents claiming he had sexually abused their sons in school.

Barat Daya district police chief Supt AA Anbalagan said the 40-year-old teacher was arrested at 10am yesterday.

“So far, we have received six reports on the incident involving Year Five and Four students,” he added.

He said the first report was lodged last Wednesday by the mother of a Year Four student who claimed that the teacher fondled his private part during a lesson in class.

"The boy also claimed that the teacher had been doing that to him since April, and also claimed that the teacher also did the same to a few of his friends,” he added.

Anbalagan said following the Wednesday report, parents of five other students lodged similar reports yesterday claiming that their sons were sexually and physically abused by the teacher during lessons in class or the school surau and also after school.

He said the teacher, who is married, was in remand for seven days for investigation.

He urged other students who had fallen victim to the teacher to lodge reports to facilitate police investigation.

-- Bernama