Period Spot Checks Minister S Silence May Allow Harassment To Persist

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Bandar Utama lawmaker Jamaliah Jamaluddin has warned that Education Minister Mohd Radzi Md Jidin’s silence on the reported period spot checks at schools might allow the sexual harassment of children to persist.
“(There is) no further news of immediate action, although it should have been initiated immediately because it is a crucial step forward to protect our children.
“It is not a sensitive matter to be handled, there's nothing controversial about protecting our children with a safer environment so it only leaves us with the reason that there isn't any willpower and it's not taken seriously by the ministry.
“And because of this attitude, the students might still be facing ongoing harassment from the period spot checks in future (especially when school starts).
“So, we really are demanding an answer, not only (on) what will be done, but also with an appropriate timeline and explanation of the timeline,” said Jamaliah.
She added that this would include an explanation on why such duration was taken to set up the committee and challenges faced by the ministry in setting it up.




Bandar Utama lawmaker Jamaliah Jamaluddin
Similarly, PKR senator Fadhlina Sidek echoed this call for action from the ministry.
“He (Radzi Jidin) did mention that (an independent) committee will be formed to look into this matter, but to no avail.
“Period spot checks are harassment. Does (the) Education Minister allow such harassment (to) happen in school? Did they compromise (their stand on) harassment when they went silent about it?
“Schools (are) supposed to be a safe place for children - not a place of harassment or traumatic experience," she said.
Various groups and public figures - including the All Women’s Action Society (Awam), Azalina Othman Said, Rafidah Aziz, Anwar Ibrahim, Hannah Yeoh, Teo Nie Ching and Maszlee Malik - have gone on to call for the ministry’s action on the matter since the incidents were first reported in April.
Independent committee
Similarly, members of the cabinet - such as Women, Family, and Community Development Minister Rina Harun - have expressed their dismay at the occurrence of such incidents.
At the time, the Titiwangsa MP vowed to engage with the relevant authorities to ensure that the practice was stopped.
In June, Radzi, who was also then the minister, said that the ministry was in the final stages of forming an independent committee to look into existing procedures that addressed complaints on the practice of period spot checks in schools, as well as other related matters.
Key details on the probe’s committee have yet to be disclosed to the public.
The ministry’s initial investigation - which was carried out in response to public outcry and reported complaints - purportedly did not indicate that such practices and other disturbing incidents had occurred.
These incidents - some of which date back to 20 years ago - allegedly include showing blood-soaked sanitary pads, performing vaginal swabs with either cotton buds, tissues, or fingers, or having a teacher, warden or school prefect pat the students down at the groin to feel if they were wearing a sanitary pad.




PKR senator Fadhlina Sidek
In response to the inconclusive investigation, Malaysiakini submitted a list to Radzi, which named 15 schools where female students were allegedly subjected to period spot checks to prove that they are menstruating.
“From June until now, we hear nothing. Did they actually formed the committee, did they actually went through all the reports made by Malaysiakini?
“The Education Ministry should have, by now, established its own child policy protection, especially on how to deal with such harassment involving children,” said Fadhlina, who is also the head of legal and community development of Wanita PKR.
A copy of the list was also sent to Radzi’s deputies, Muslimin Yahaya and Dr Mah Hang Soon, as well as the ministry’s secretary-general and Corporate Communications Department.
The list was sent along with other details, such as the dates of alleged offences (most of which dated from 2011 to 2018) and the wardens or teachers who were named by the students.
The names of the alleged victims were not included in the list.
Separately, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) had also conducted its own investigation on the practice of "period spot checks" in schools administered by the agency.
However, the agency still has yet to release a statement on the findings of its investigation, contrary to what was initially promised by Beaufort MP and Mara chairperson Azizah Mohd Dun on May 6. - Mkini

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