Malaysia expels students accused in gang rape in Melaka school as case ignites outrage, debate

KUALA LUMPUR – The Malaysian authorities on Oct 13 expelled four male students involved in an alleged gang rape of a teenage girl at a secondary school in Melaka.

The alleged incident, which was said to have taken place in a classroom after school hours on Oct 2, has shocked the nation and ignited fierce debate over moral education, student discipline and safety in Malaysian schools.

Officials are now scrambling to contain public anger over the government’s handling of the case after the Education Minister said the students involved would be allowed to sit their school-leaving examinations that start in November.

“The school disciplinary board convened today and expelled all suspects involved,” education director-general Azam Ahmad said on Oct 13.

De facto Law Minister Azalina Othman Said vowed on Oct 13 that every rape or sexual crime will be investigated under the Penal Code, regardless of the offender’s age.

“Being under 18 does not mean one can escape punishment for committing a crime. Many people misunderstand this. Wrong is wrong; evil is evil,” she said.

The issue also caught the attention of Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, who named the dearth of moral and ethical principles as one of the factors behind bullying and violence in schools.

“It’s not just the teachers’ fault – parents and the system share the blame,” he said during a speech at a Prime Minister’s Department gathering on Oct 13.

Two of the suspects who allegedly assaulted the victim had reportedly used a mobile phone to record the attack. Two other students were also involved and were said to have acted as lookouts.

All four suspects were remanded for six days starting on Oct 11.

According to Melaka police, the case is being investigated as gang rape, and those convicted face a jail term of between 10 and 30 years.

The victim, a 15-year-old student, is receiving counselling and medical treatment.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek had previously triggered public outrage when she said that the accused would still be allowed to sit their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations in 2025.

The SPM is equivalent to Singapore’s O levels, and the results determine entry and placement in pre-university programmes such as the national matriculation programme or A levels.

“We will ensure they do not fall behind in their studies even while investigations are ongoing,” Ms Fadhlina said on Oct 12.

Critics had argued that allowing the four to continue as if the offence did not happen sent the wrong message about accountability and leniency in cases of sexual violence.

In response, Mr Azam said on Oct 13 that permitting the suspects, all aged 17, to sit the SPM examinations does not in any way mean that they will escape punishment. The suspects would not take their SPM exams in school, but instead at detention centres or separate locations.

Mr Azam also directed state education directors, district education officers and school administrators to conduct spot checks to increase safety.

At a special press conference at the Education Ministry, he added that a comprehensive safety guideline will be announced in December, consolidating findings of committees reviewing safety and welfare in schools.

Ms Fadhlina’s remarks sparked a fierce backlash online, with politicians, parents, educators and activists accusing the ministry of being tone-deaf to the trauma suffered by victims of sexual assault.

Lawyer Rajesh Nagarajan said on Oct 13: “By allowing accused rapists to sit national examinations as if nothing has happened, the minister has sent a chilling message – that sexual violence can be swept under the rug in the name of ‘educational rights’.”

Many Malaysians flooded social media to condemn the minister’s decision, calling for tougher policies to address misconduct and gender-based violence among students.

The Sabah Government Teachers’ Union (KGKS), for one, has expressed full support for the proposal to reintroduce caning as a disciplinary measure in schools.

KGKS president Murkam Hussien said on Oct 13 that the incident in Melaka highlights the need for stronger disciplinary tools for teachers – and should serve as a wake-up call to both educators and parents to restore respect and order in schools.

The ensuing outrage reflects broader anxieties about youth behaviour and safety in schools, following a string of high-profile incidents which have led to fatalities.

Malaysian activist Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, 21, an outspoken critic of a rape culture in schools, said on Instagram that the news was “so heartbreaking”.

Rape culture refers to an environment where sexual violence is pervasive and normalised owing to societal attitudes that excuse, trivialise or blame victims instead of perpetrators.

“Lately, there have been cases of rape, sexual harassment and bullying that have even led to deaths in schools. We need to reform the school system, and we need schools to be safer now,” Ms Ain said, referring to her

“Make Schools a Safer Place” campaign,

which she started as a student in 2021 after a teacher made a rape joke.

Other recent cases involving violence in schools include the deaths of 13-year-old Zara Qairina, a student at a boarding school in Sabah, in July, and a 10-year-old boy, who was found unconscious on school grounds in Negeri Sembilan on Oct 1 and later pronounced dead.

The government’s initial handling of Zara’s death, which many Malaysians saw as either a cover-up or bureaucratic misstep amid the spread of misinformation surrounding it, ignited nationwide protests and turned the tragedy into a major political issue.

The latest incident in Melaka has also sparked calls for stronger moral education in Malaysian schools, with lessons on consent and respect.

Long-time activist Lee Lam Thye was among those who urged the Education Ministry to review school safety procedures and strengthen supervision within school compounds.

“That such a serious crime could occur in a classroom setting is totally unacceptable and points to serious lapses in supervision, moral education, and awareness about respect, consent and proper conduct among students,” said the chairman of the Alliance for a Safe Community on Oct 12.