Uproar after minister says accused rapists can sit for SPM

Four students implicated in the gang rape of a 15-year-old will still be allowed to sit for SPM examinations, said Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek.

The assurance, however, has stirred public anger.

Speaking to the press yesterday, Fadhlina (above) said that the ministry would ensure that the four SPM students - two of whom are accused of committing the sexual assault while the others kept watch and recorded the act - would not be left behind in their education.

She also stressed that the victim - who is in hospital - would be given psychosocial support.

Other students at the school would also receive such support, she added.

"Counsellors will be deployed and give their full support to the school and its children. Our focus here is because this is the best school in Malacca," the minister said, adding that they did not want SPM students to be disrupted over the case.

Malaysiakini obtained a recording of her remarks.

‘Outrageous betrayal’

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan viewed the minister's decision to allow the alleged rapists to continue sitting for SPM as an "outrageous betrayal" of public trust.

"This reckless move prioritises bureaucratic procedure over public safety, over the welfare of the victim, and over the moral fabric of our education system.

"By allowing accused rapists to sit for national examinations as if nothing has happened, the minister has sent a chilling message - that sexual violence can be swept under the rug in the name of 'educational rights'," he said in a statement today.

He added that the presumption of innocence does not mean immunity from consequences and that the ministry must ensure the school remains a safe space.

Rajesh suggested that the alleged perpetrators instead sit for deferred exams, or take them in isolation under strict supervision.

School’s image over safety?

Child rights activist Hartini Zainudin expressed concern that the Education Ministry may be prioritising institutional reputation over a victim's suffering.

"When we prioritise a school’s image over safety, when we talk about exams before accountability - we are sending a message that a child’s pain matters less than an institution’s reputation," she said in an open letter to Fadhlina today.

Hartini called on the ministry to institute a "safe schools policy", where each school must implement a child protection policy, as well as appoint child protection officers.

She added that there must also be ways for children to make complaints confidentially and safely, and that educators must be trained to identify abuse and respond to disclosures.

Schools that fail to act or conceal any cases must face disciplinary and legal action, she stressed.

The activist also called for the establishment of a national safe schools task force comprising psychologists, child protection experts, Welfare Department officers, NGOs, and parents to create a real-time response and accountability system.

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