Teacher embroiled in rape joke issue transferred from Shah Alam school

A teacher at a school in Shah Alam accused of making a rape joke has been transferred to the Selangor state education department pending completion of an investigation into the matter, the education ministry said today.

In a statement, it said further action would depend on the outcome of the investigation.

The teacher at SMK Puncak Alam was accused by a Form Five student of making inappropriate comments during a class session.

The education ministry confirmed that the student had lodged a police report on the matter on April 24, saying it had previously refrained from commenting due to the ongoing investigation.

It also confirmed a separate police report lodged by the principal over comments against the student said to have been uploaded on Facebook.

It said the principal in the report filed at the Kuala Selangor police station had denied making the comments, instead stating suspicions that his Facebook account had been hacked.

On the warning letter sent to the student for being absent from school, the ministry said students who do not attend school for three days in a row or for 10 non-consecutive days without a written explanation to the school would be given a first warning.

“In general, this letter is issued to ensure that the parents or guardians and school are aware of students’ attendance,” it said.

“It also allows the ministry to monitor the possibility of students falling behind and to take the necessary measures to intervene.”

It said the school in question had issued six first warning letters to the parents of students who failed to attend classes without an explanation from April 16 to 30.

“The ministry would like to state that it always prioritises the safety and well-being of students as well as the entire school.”