A parents’ group and a child rights activist said comprehensive police background checks must be made mandatory across all schools — especially religious institutions — to vet for criminal records or disciplinary issues in past jobs.
Parents Action Group for Education chairman Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim said that while the public school system may be tightly regulated, many tahfiz schools operated more informally, often evading scrutiny.
Yayasan Chow Kit founder Hartini Zainudin said parents often place great trust in religious schools, but the lack of stringent safeguards leaves children vulnerable to predators.
“This is not about regulation; it is about the sacred duty to protect the innocent. Passion without policy is empty. We need action now. The children in those classrooms have no other defence.
“Every single adult in a school must be cleared through police checks. This is a non-negotiable baseline, not a bureaucratic option,” she told FMT.
Noor Azimah agreed, saying checks should also be made to verify disciplinary records with past employers, as staff entrusted with caring for children must be held to the highest standards of accountability.
“Safeguarding must not be left to each individual school’s discretion,” she said.
On Thursday, police confirmed receiving a report alleging that a 13‑year‑old boy was repeatedly sodomised by his teacher at a religious school in Desa Pandan, Kuala Lumpur.
Police said checks found that the suspect had been sentenced to eight years in jail and six strokes of the cane for two previous cases pertaining to sexual assault of children.
Heads must roll
Hartini called for heads to roll at the top for allowing the man to work as a teacher at the school despite being convicted of sexual offences against two children.
She said those responsible for the hiring processes must be held accountable — even charged with negligence given the consequences of their mistake.
“Leadership is responsible for the systems they oversee. If a predator is hired, it represents a catastrophic failure of that system. Those who neglect their duty to protect the vulnerable must bear the consequences.”
She suggested that the education ministry establish a “do not hire” registry for schools, with this list applicable nationwide.
Greater scrutiny on religious schools needed
Noor Azimah said greater scrutiny was needed for religious schools, pointing out that they typically do not require their teachers to have professional teaching accreditation, unlike government schools.
She suggested putting tahfiz schools under the purview of the education ministry with mandated teacher training and diplomas made a requirement, as the current framework was unsustainable.
Hartini said the education ministry must require all educational institutions to have child protection policies in place, and for these to be audited from time to time.
She said religious schools often do not have such policies in place, adding that children should be appropriately protected no matter which school they attend.
“No child’s safety should ever depend on what type of school they attend. It must not be different for religious schools. A ‘religious environment’ does not grant immunity from evil; it demands higher vigilance.”
While Malaysia’s Education Act mandates vetting for private institutions, Hartini said it was evident that enforcement was lacking.