Molest allegation: Education Ministry to conduct internal investigation

The education ministry will carry out an internal investigation into recent cases where two teachers were alleged to have molested six pupils in Terengganu and Sabah.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the authorities would leave it to the police to investigate the matter further.

"I am very disappointed with this kind of news, how can teachers be involved in such cases...this has become a police case, let them (the police) solve it," he told reporters after opening the Jelebu Wanita, Youth and Puteri UMNO division delegates meeting here, on Sunday.

He also said the ministry would look into appropriate measures to prevent a recurrence.

The police have detained a 50-year-old teacher in Besut, Terengganu in connection with the molest of three primary school pupils while in Telupid, Sabah, a 53-year-old discipline teacher was suspected to have molested three pupils, aged between nine and 10.

Meanwhile in KUALA LUMPUR, Mahdzir said the ministry would scrutinise details into the formulation of a newly-proposed teachers protection act to protect educators when performing their duties.

"The ministry welcomes the proposal and (will) scrutinise the details at the official level...we will do it as soon as possible," he told reporters after opening the Setiawangsa UMNO delegates meeting here.

In another development, Mahdzir said the ministry was leaving it to the schools whether or not they wanted to raise funds through the Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) to help improve the quality of infrastructure in their schools.

Urban Wellbeing, Housing and Local Government Minister Tan Sri Noh Omar was reported proposing to the Selangor Education Department to make it compulsory for PTAs to have fund-raising programmes to help schools improve the quality of infrastructure.