Sarawak social activist: Suspend any teacher suspected to be involved in sexual abuse against students

KUCHING, May 23 2026: Social activist Voon Shiak Ni has called on the Ministry of Education (MoE) to immediately suspend any teacher facing serious allegations of sexual abuse involving students.

Caption: Social activist Voon Shiak Ni says any teacher suspected to have committed sexual abuse against students should be immediately suspended. 

She said such teacher should not be allowed to return to school or have access to students while police investigations and legal proceedings are ongoing.

“Any teacher or school staff member accused of sexual offences involving minors should be immediately suspended from teaching duties and prohibited from returning to the school environment while investigations are ongoing,” Voon said in a statement.

She was commenting on the arrest of a school teacher in connection with  a report lodged over a  statutory rape against a 12-year old student in Johor recently.

Voon stressed that the immediately suspension is necessary to protect students, preserve the integrity of investigations, and maintain public confidence in the education system.

“Under Malaysian law, sexual intercourse with a girl below the age of 16 is a serious criminal offence regardless of consent,” she said, stating that Section 375(g) of the Penal Code  establishes statutory rape.

“It states that any man who has sexual intercourse with a girl under the age of 16 commits rape, regardless of whether she consented. Under this provision, a minor's purported "consent" is legally invalid,” Voon, a human rights lawyer, said.

She said the case of sexual abuse reported in social media involving a teacher allegedly committing statutory rape against a 12-year-old student in Johor is deeply disturbing and unacceptable.

“Schools must always remain a safe place for children to learn, grow and be protected from abuse and exploitation,” Voon said.

Yesterday,  the police have obtained a six-day remand order from Johor Bahru’s Magistrate’s Court against a male teacher following his arrest in connection with a sexual misconduct case involving a primary school pupil in Seri Alam, Pasir Gudang.

The 28-year-old suspect will be remanded until May 27 to assist in investigations.

The Magistrate’s Court granted the six-day remand order to enable police to conduct further investigations into the case.