Mak Chee Kin of the Melaka Action Group for Parents in Education supported a proposal to bring back caning in schools but said this would only be for discipline issues among students.
He said rape was not a matter of student discipline but a criminal act which has roots that go far deeper. The real solution lies in prevention through education, Mak added.
The National Union of the Teaching Profession said existing rules already allowed caning to be conducted by the school principal or headmaster, adding that this was sufficient.
In response to the rape case, NUTP secretary-general Fouzi Singon called for parents to take a greater role in monitoring and educating their children.
Mak said caning does not solve the root cause of rape. “It doesn’t teach respect, empathy, or consent. Real change comes from education, awareness, and moral guidance.
“We need to teach our boys what consent means, how to respect ladies and gender equality. More importantly, do not treat ladies as sex objects meant to be subservient to men,” he told FMT.
Mak said boys needed strong role models in their fathers and male teachers, examples who would show respect and equality in their day-to-day interactions with women and girls.
This is especially with pornograpic content propagating violence or force now more easily accessible than decades ago, which could cause viewers to feel as if such behaviour was normal and acceptable, he said.
“Rape is about power, control and lack of respect, not simply breaking rules. The best prevention is through education, respect, and strong moral values, supported by clear laws and quick action.”
There have been calls for the return of caning in schools following the alleged gang rape of a schoolgirl in Melaka, for which four Form 5 boys have been arrested. Two of them allegedly recorded the incident and spread it online.
Fouzi said allowing ordinary teachers to cane pupils could lead to misconduct and abuse. He also believed caning would do nothing to curb schoolboy rapists.
He expressed dismay at the “animal-like” Melaka case, and pointed to teenage exposure to porn online. Fouzi said such exposure without sufficient sex education would arouse curiosity and cause teens to act on their lust without thinking of the negatives.
“That is why the role of parents in monitoring and educating their children is very important, because the application of faith and religion begins at home.
“Schools only add input and reinforce practices. If children are left without education and family rules, their behaviour is difficult to control,” he said.