Former de facto law minister Datuk Zaid Ibrahim has called for firm and uncompromising action against individuals accused of sexually abusing children in tahfiz schools and madrasahs, arguing that existing responses have failed to deter a pattern of deeply disturbing crimes.
In remarks made public on January 30, 2026, Zaid expressed frustration over recurring reports of sodomy involving students at religious institutions, describing the situation as a moral crisis that demands decisive legal consequences. He argued that those entrusted with the care and religious education of children had gravely abused their authority, inflicting long-term trauma that far outweighs financial crimes or administrative misconduct.
According to Zaid, caretakers and administrators, often referred to as mudir, who exploit their positions to commit sexual offences against minors should face the full weight of the law. He maintained that criminal prosecution, imprisonment and corporal punishment should be pursued to reflect the seriousness of the harm inflicted on young victims, whose lives, he said, are permanently altered by such abuse.
He also pointed to police statements indicating that reported cases of sodomy involving minors have reached alarming levels, raising questions about the effectiveness and urgency of responses from religious authorities. In his view, enforcement bodies responsible for overseeing religious institutions should have acted more swiftly and decisively to curb the abuse.
Zaid further criticised what he described as misplaced priorities among certain enforcement agencies and political actors. He suggested that moral policing efforts appear to focus heavily on issues involving consenting adults, while far less attention is directed at protecting children from sexual violence within religious settings. This imbalance, he argued, has contributed to a culture of silence and impunity.
The former minister also questioned the lack of strong public positions from Malay-based political parties like PAS on the issue, noting that prolonged silence risks being interpreted as indifference or avoidance. He urged Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to address the matter directly and clarify the government’s stance on safeguarding children in religious educational environments.
Beyond institutional accountability, the controversy has also reignited debate about parental responsibility. Persistent reports of abuse have prompted renewed scrutiny over why children continue to be enrolled in facilities that have repeatedly been linked to such allegations, despite the availability of alternative forms of religious education.
Zaid’s comments have added pressure on authorities to confront the issue head-on, as public concern grows over child safety, oversight failures and the need for systemic reform. The episode underscores broader questions about governance, accountability and the protection of minors within Malaysia’s religious education framework.
Kamran (kfiverr21@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
The User Content (as defined on Newswav Terms of Use) above including the views expressed and media (pictures, videos, citations etc) were submitted & posted by the author. Newswav is solely an aggregation platform that hosts the User Content. If you have any questions about the content, copyright or other issues of the work, please contact creator@newswav.com.