DAPSY Kuching against allowing the four students to sit for their SPM examinaion

KUCHING, Oct 13 2025: DAP Socialist Youth (DAPSY) Kuching has disagreed with the Education Ministry in allowing the four male students, who were allegedly involved in gang-raping a female student, to sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.

Lesley Chong (picture): There should be no leniency shown to the four students who allegedly involved in gang-raping a female student 

Its secretary Lesley Chong said there should not be any leniency shown to them for allegedly committing the gang-rape on a female student in a school in Malacca last week.

She said by allowing them to sit for SPM examination is sending a dangerous message that justice and accountability are secondary to privilege and convenience.

“If the perpetrators are given a second chance so easily, who will safeguard the future of the young girl whose life has been irreversibly scarred?

“Has anyone ensured that she can continue her studies safely, or receive the psychological support she deserves to rebuild her life?” Lesley asked.

She also emphasised that, too often, young survivors of sexual assault are the ones who lose everything, such as their education, security, and trust in society.

“It is unacceptable that right now, in the year 2025, victims are still made to carry the burden of shame, while offenders are treated with sympathy and protection,” she said.

Lesley also highlighted the urgent need for a Comprehensive Sexuality Education (CSE) to be implemented in schools, one that teaches students about accurate and age-appropriate information about sexual health, including consent, respect, and bodily autonomy.

She said without proper education, many youths will continue learning about sex and relationships through distorted and harmful online pornographic sources that glorify violence, objectification, and exploitation.

“The fact that the perpetrators even filmed the act and circulated it online reflects a disturbing lack of empathy and understanding of the gravity of their actions,” she stressed.

She strongly urged the Education Ministry and relevant authorities to take immediate and coordinated action to ensure justice for the victim and strengthen measures to prevent such incidents from recurring.

She said this includes ensuring accountability in the handling of the case, providing continuous support and protection for survivors, and reinforcing a zero-tolerance stance against all forms of sexual violence within schools and communities.

She emphasised that, rather than placing the burden of prevention on girls by telling them not to go out late or not to dress a certain way, society must start teaching boys from a young age about consent, respect, and the harmful consequences of sexual violence.

“Protecting victims and holding perpetrators accountable must be our collective moral duty,” Lesley said.

According to media reports, quoting Education director-general Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad today, the four Five students have been expelled.

The School Disciplinary Board expelled them following internal investigations into the serious misconduct, while the criminal case remains under police investigation.

However, they are allowed to sit for their SPM examination as it is their rights.

They will be asked to sit for the examination at a different school.

The four, aged 17, are being investigated by the police under Section 375B of the Penal Code for gang rape.

 

(Updated): PBDS supports calls to allow Sabahans residing in Malaya to vote through postal voting in coming state election

KUCHING: Parti Bansa Dayak Sarawak (PBDS) supported calls for Sabahans residing and working in Malaya be allowed to votes on the coming Sabah state elections through postal voting.

PBDS president Dr John Brian Anthony: Voting is not a privilege, but a right protected by the constitution.

Its president Dr John Brian Anthony said the voting rights of Sabahans in Malaya must respected.

He said PBDS acknowledges the recent public calls urging Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim and the Election Commission (EC) to extend postal voting facilities to Sabahan voters currently residing or working in Malaya.

“We therefore urge the EC and federal government to explore and implement a mechanism for postal or remote voting for Sabahan voters in Malaya before the next state or general elections,” he said in a statement.

He said that voting is not a privilege, but a right protected by the constitution.

He added upholding that right for every Malaysian, regardless of where they are temporarily residing, is the true measure of our democratic maturity.

“PBDS stands with all efforts that advance the constitutional rights and democratic inclusion of every citizen, Sabahans, Sarawakians, and all Malaysians alike.

“Although PBDS is a Sarawak-based political party and does not operate in Sabah, we stand by the fundamental principle that voting is a constitutional right which must be accessible, fair, and inclusive for every Malaysian citizen, regardless of where they live or work within the federation,” he stressed.

He emphasised that it is a matter of constitutional equality for all eligible Malaysians to cast votes in every election and a right to choose the government.

He added that Article 119 of the Federal Constitution guarantees the rights of every eligible citizen to vote in the constituency where they are registered.

“The spirit of this Article is clear that no citizen should be effectively disenfranchised due to geography or economic circumstance.

“If a Sabahan is working in Malaya but remains a registered voter in Sabah, the system should provide a reasonable and secure mechanism, such as postal voting, for them to exercise that right,” John stressed.

Saying that it is a practical step to strengthening democracy, he said that PBDS views this not as a partisan issue but as a democratic housekeeping matter.

He said allowing postal voting for Sabahans in Malaya would strengthen the legitimacy of election outcomes, increase voter participation, and uphold Malaysia’s constitutional promise of equal access to the ballot box.

John believed that the EC already possesses the regulatory framework for various postal voting categories, adding that extending it to cover domestic inter-state voters is therefore not a constitutional leap, but an administrative refinement in the spirit of fairness.

He said PBDS recognises that Sabah’s electoral administration falls within its own state and federal jurisdiction, stating that the party does not seek to interfere or comment on the political affairs of Sabah.

“However, as a Sarawak party that values the integrity of democratic participation across all Bornean states, we echo the calls for the federal and election authorities to act swiftly and judiciously,” he said.

“From a broader Bornean standpoint, this issue reminds us that the unity of Malaysia is strengthened when rights are applied fairly to all regions.

“When Sabahans or Sarawakians living in Malaya can participate fully in elections back home, it reinforces not only democracy but also the spirit of equal partnership enshrined in the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63),” he said.

John stressed that PBDS supports any policy that strengthens access to democratic rights, transparency, and fairness in electoral participation.