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THE Ministry of Education (MoE) has reiterated its zero-tolerance policy towards sexual misconduct involving students, following a disturbing case involving AI-generated explicit images of schoolgirls that recently became known.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry is taking a firm and coordinated approach in tackling such incidents across all educational institutions, whether public or private.
She stressed that any allegations must be thoroughly investigated, with disciplinary action taken based on existing procedures and legal frameworks.
“Any form of misconduct must be addressed seriously. Investigations must follow due process, and action will be taken in line with the guidelines already in place,” Bernama cited Fadhlina telling reporters after launching the 2025 edition of the national #terimakasihcikgu movement at a shopping mall today.
She added that the MoE is actively working with other ministries and government agencies to bolster safeguards, particularly in terms of online safety and digital ethics among students.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh and Education Director-General Datuk Azman Adnan were also present at the event.
The remarks come in the wake of a case involving a private secondary school in Kulai, Johor, where students were reportedly targeted by digitally altered pornographic content. According to police, obscene images featuring the faces of female students had been edited and distributed on social media platforms, allegedly being sold for as little as RM2 per image.
Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching had earlier called for private schools to improve their standard operating procedures (SOPs) in handling sexual misconduct and cyber exploitation cases, particularly those involving artificial intelligence technologies. Teo also revealed that the school had been alerted to the issue as early as last year.
Johor police chief Datuk M Kumar confirmed that 22 police reports have been filed to date in connection with the incident.
A 16-year-old suspect has since been remanded until next Tuesday. The case was first reported after an 18-year-old victim discovered her face had been used in one of the images that subsequently went viral.
The scandal has reignited public concern over student safety in the digital age, with calls growing for stricter school protocols, stronger inter-agency collaboration, and education reforms to better address sexual misconduct — both online and offline. – April 13, 2025
