Melaka Classroom Gang Rape Education Minister S Stance Inflicts Further Harm On Victim Undermines Trust In System

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MCA Youth Pahang has slammed the decision by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to allow students accused of gang rape to sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination next month.

Its chief Wong Siew Mun said Fadhlina’s decision is not only irresponsible but constitutes a second act of harm against the victim and a betrayal of the very principles that should uphold justice in the country’s education system.
“The minister’s justification that ‘all students have the right to education’ dangerously distorts the concept of fairness. Education rights cannot exist in a vacuum, detached from justice and safety,” she stressed.
“When a system chooses to empathise with alleged perpetrators instead of protecting the victim, that is not compassion. That is institutional cruelty.”
Wong’s comments came in response to a case involving two Form Five boys who allegedly gang-raped a Form Three girl in a classroom at a secondary school in Alor Gajah, Melaka on Oct 2.
The incident was reportedly recorded and witnessed by two other students.
According to sources, the victim had returned to her classroom on the third floor to retrieve a science project item she had forgotten. Upon entering, one of the suspects allegedly grabbed her, covered her mouth and forced her back into the room.
The victim is now receiving care at Hospital Melaka. All four suspects have been remanded.
The case is being investigated under Section 375B of the Penal Code.
“MCA Youth Pahang is appalled by the Education Ministry’s (MOE) insistence on maintaining a ‘neutral’ stance while the victim remains hospitalised, traumatised, and struggling to recover,” Wong continued.
“Unfortunately, neutrality doesn’t protect fairness. It shields the accused from moral accountability.
“MOE’s silence is not impartiality but complicity. By hiding behind the idea of ‘balancing all sides’, it sends a dangerous message that even if a student is involved in a violent and traumatic act, as long as they haven’t been convicted, life and school continues as normal.
“This false neutrality erodes public trust and reduces the notion of school safety to a hollow slogan.”
Wong Siew Mun (Image: Malaysia Gazette)Wong further emphasised that the right to education cannot supersede the principles of justice and moral responsibility.
“The victim is also a student. She, too, deserves access to education. More than that, she deserves to feel safe, seen, and supported,” she remarked.
“If MOE cannot recognise this, then the so-called ‘right to education’ becomes nothing more than privilege disguised as equality.
“Using ‘education’ as a shield to absolve perpetrators sends the wrong message to our young generation whereby serious crimes can be ignored or excused under the pretext of exams. That is an incredibly damaging precedent.”
Wong said Fadhlina’s remarks blur the line between right and wrong, weaken public confidence in the education system, and reveal a structural failure in how the Ministry handles sexual violence in schools.
“A leadership that refuses to condemn violence, that cannot clearly distinguish between right and wrong, has no credibility to talk about education reform or values-based learning.
“Therefore, MCA Pahang Youth makes three urgent demands: Suspend the academic status and exam eligibility of the accused students pending the outcome of police investigations;  provide independent psychological counselling and legal support for the victim, and ensure she can continue her education in a safe, protected environment; and establish a National Task Force on Sexual Violence in Schools, including representation from women’s groups, mental health professionals, and education stakeholders to comprehensively review and strengthen safety protocols in schools.”
Wont noted if Fadhlina truly believes in the spirit of education, she must also believe in accountability.
“Education is not a refuge from consequences. Crime must never be hidden behind examinations,” she added.
“MCA Youth Pahang urges the Education Minister to withdraw her irresponsible remarks, issue a public apology to the victim and her family, and take concrete, transparent steps to restore public trust in the integrity of Malaysia’s education system.” ‒  Focus Malaysia

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