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The Parliamentary Select Committee on Women, Children, and Community Development will summon the Education Ministry and the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for a special hearing on school safety issues
According to its chairperson, Yeo Bee Yin, the committee will meet with both parties to discuss the matter before summarising the findings in a statement and presenting it to the Dewan Rakyat, reported Berita Harian.
Yeo, who is also the Puchong member of parliament (MP), said she hopes Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul will allow the statement to be debated by fellow MPs in the August House.
"To me, statements from the legislative (branch) are secondary. What is more important now is that the executive, as in the ministries, must act quickly to make our schools safe again for our children," Malaysiakini quoted her as saying in parliament today, 14 October.
Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children, and Community Development chairperson Yeo Bee Yin.
Image via Bernama via Harian MetroThe committee's initiative comes after two recent major incidents in schools that have shocked the nation: the alleged gang rape case at a school in Melaka earlier this month and the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old student today, 14 October
Yeo admitted that as a mother, she was deeply affected by the latter case.
"This incident happened just a week after news of a gang rape incident at a school in Melaka… This is madness. Many parents, including myself, are asking whether our schools are still safe for our children," she said.
Meanwhile, the New Straits Times quoted several parents of students at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), the school where the stabbing occurred, who urged the police to strengthen security measures on school grounds.
One of the parents called for regular police patrols, saying his daughter has been deeply traumatised by the incident and remains inconsolable.
