ARAU: Education Ministry is serious in managing sexual harassment cases among students, particulary in helping them to recover from emotional impact.
Its Minister Fadlina Sidek stressed that the government has a guideline in managing the issue in schools with the assistance of all parties concerned.
"We have also empowered the counselling teachers in providing assistance and psychological support for the affected children, but more importantly, we must make sure that the schools are safe (for the students).
"Secondly, they have a platform that they can trust to share the issue (incident), meaning that what is important is the action taken by the school once they learn about such an incident," she told reporters after attending the proclamation ceremony of SMK Arau as SMK Syed Hussein by the Regent of Perlis, Tuanku Syed Faizuddin Putra Jamalullail.
Raja Puan Muda of Perlis, Tuanku Dr Lailatul Shahreen Akashah Khalil grazed the ceremony. Also present was Perlis Menteri Besar Mohd Shukri Ramli.
Fadhlina added that to address the issue, the ministry is working with the Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said to organise more conventions to address sexual harassment issue at schools level.
She said the move is being taken to further empower the law including guidelines and schools management.
"Therefore, we want all schools to give due attention to this issue and we wish to once again stress to all parties concerned to take the guidelines seriously," she said.
Recently, the media highlighted the issue of mental health among children that is getting more worrying and should be addressed swiftly following the rising number of sexual crime cases involving minor victims.
The federal police's Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Seri Mohd Shuhaily Mohd Zain was reported as expressing the police force's concern on the issue.