Sex-for-grades shocker

> Some teachers seeking favours from students in exchange for good results, says MACC

PUTRAJAYA: Some teachers are seeking sex services from their students in exchange for better exam grades, Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) chief commissioner Datuk Seri Mohd Shukri Abdull said yesterday.

This was among the shocking forms of corruption taking place in schools.

“There are many instances of corruption. In fact, there are cases of teachers asking for ‘anu’ (sex) from students if they would like to pass their examinations,” he said at an anti-graft forum attended by education industry players yesterday.

Mohd Shukri said many of these cases were not tried in court as the students were not willing to come forward and testify.

“It’s hard, because many of them (students) are afraid their identities would be revealed.”

Mohd Shukri, however, stopped short of giving further details on how prevalent the cases were and who were among those involved.

He added that there were also instances where students would give money to their classmates to vote for them as class monitors and head prefects.

When asked for comment, Education Minister Dr Maszlee Malik said he was unaware of these sex-for-grades teachers, and urged victims to come forward.

“We ask those affected to lodge a police report.

“Don’t hide the matter, we will not tolerate such nonsense. If there are reports, we will take action.

“We guarantee all victims that they will be protected. We stand by the rule of law. We want more victims to come forward. Don’t be afraid, justice is with them,” he said.

Maszlee said it was hard for the ministry to act if victims refused to come forward, adding that the ministry aimed to make schools the safest place for both students and teachers.

He added a specific topic on anticorruption would be integrated into the civic education subject which would be re-introduced after the subject was discontinued in 2015.

“We are in the process of finalising the subject, and it will be introduced in the middle of next year, and the topic of anticorruption will be included in both primary and secondary schools.

“As for pre-schools, we won’t have a particular civic subject, but we will teach them good values and corruption, and other bad values they must avoid.”

Maszlee said the civic education would not be categorised as a “must-pass” subject, but that it was compulsory for all students to take the subject.

Shukri had earlier proposed that a specific subject on anti-corruption be introduced and made compulsory in all schools, with students having to sit for examinations, in a bid to curb corruption at an earlier stage.

Maszlee said this was impossible as it would be burdensome for students who would be forced to take up too many subjects.

“I have discussed this matter with the MACC yesterday, and we have agreed that anti-corruption will only be included as a topic in the civic education subject,” he said.

Meanwhile, National Union of The Teaching Profession (NUTP) president Kamarozaman Abd Razak claimed to have no knowledge of the matter and said it vehemently condemned such acts.

“We as teachers are supposed to be professionals. We will not compromise with teachers with such attitude.

“This is such a disgrace to the teaching profession. It only gives a bad name to the other teachers whose job is to educate pupils,” he told theSun.

Asked what form of action could be taken against teachers who were involved, Kamarozaman said NUTP would forward any information to the ministry’s disciplinary body.

“It is then up to the ministry whether to suspend, or sack the teacher,” he said.

He urged victims to come forward and lodge a report.