In a statement, the education ministry said it will not comment on the matter as the incident is being investigated by police.

“The education ministry’s next action depends on the results of the investigation on this case,” it said.

Form 5 student Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam had claimed that the physical fitness and health education teacher at her school made the joke and encouraged his students to commit rape.

Recently, Ain was described as a “child of the devil wearing a headscarf” (“anak setan pakai tudung”) on Facebook in her principal’s account, sparking more uproar among netizens as they called for the education ministry to take action.

The ministry said a police report has been lodged by the principal, alleging that her Facebook account had been hacked.

On the warning letter issued to Ain for skipping school, the ministry explained that this was issued to any student who was absent for three to 10 days in a row without a written letter to the school explaining their absence.

It said this letter was generally issued to ensure parents and the school are aware of the student’s absence, adding that it helps the ministry to monitor possible dropouts and intervene in these cases.

It said the school had issued six such warning letters to parents over students skipping school for no reason.

“The ministry wants to stress that it prioritises the safety and welfare of students and the entire school community. The ministry is always committed to do its best,” it said.

Ain’s father, Saiful Nizam Ab Wahab, was said to be puzzled by the warning letter as he had met the school authorities to explain that Ain would be skipping school as she did not feel safe there.

Ain’s claim has led to other students and former pupils speaking out over similar experiences in school, with the hashtag #MakeSchoolASaferPlace trending on social media.

It was later reported that Ain received a rape threat from a male classmate, which her father reported to police. The student later apologised for making the threat, and Ain’s father was said to have accepted the apology.

Former education minister Maszlee Malik as well as parents’ and women’s rights groups had previously questioned the ministry’s silence over the matter, and urged minister Radzi Jidin to speak up.