Teary-eyed Fadhlina says she's a mother too, rejects claims bullying cases swept under rug

In an emotionally charged press conference, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek fought back tears as she spoke about the latest tragedy to hit a local school - the death of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya Khairool Faisal, who is believed to have been murdered by her schoolmates in Yong Peng, Johor.

Fadhlina emphasised that she was speaking not only as a minister, but also as a mother.

“My children went through the same schooling and education system. They all attended government schools.

“Like other parents, I used to take my children to school and entrust them to the teachers and the school authorities,” the mother of six told reporters in Parliament.

Fadhlina also rejected claims that cases involving schools had not been pursued, stressing that a lack of media coverage did not mean a case had been abandoned.

“A case does not simply come to a halt just because it is no longer making headlines or being discussed on social media - we must be clear about that.

“Investigations, disciplinary actions, legal processes, and related interventions continue to proceed within their respective jurisdictions,” she stressed.

Last year, Education Ministry director-general Azam Ahmad (above) claimed that many sexual harassment and bullying cases in schools had been “swept under the rug”.

Later, Fadhlina “clarified” Azam’s remarks by stressing that the latter did not mean cases were being covered up.

“When (Azam) said ‘swept under the carpet,’ he didn’t mean that cases were being covered up.

“(Instead), he was stressing that there have been incidents in schools that were known or reported to relevant parties - whether teachers, school administrators, counsellors, or the district or state education officers - but were seen as minor, not serious, or temporary in nature,” she was reported as saying.

In the Yong Peng case, Irene, a Form Four student, was found unconscious and bleeding, with multiple injuries to her head and body, inside a school hall on Saturday evening.

Police later detained three students to facilitate investigations under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Minister vows action

Fadhlina also vowed to take firm action against the security company contracted to provide security at the school.

She said security companies hired by the ministry have a clearly defined scope of work under their contracts, including controlling entry and exit, patrolling designated areas and adhering to set schedules.

“Should any breach of the contract scope be identified, action may be taken in accordance with the stipulated terms - including the issuance of non-compliance notices, financial penalties, and contract termination, provided the relevant conditions are met,” she said.

Fadhlina also revealed that although the school was equipped with CCTV cameras, none had been installed at the location where the incident occurred.

She said the ministry was taking immediate steps to improve CCTV coverage at the school following the incident.

“The school has CCTV, but there was no CCTV installed at the location where the incident occurred.

“So, we are making improvements and taking immediate action,” Fadhlina added.

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