Foon Yew High School's Kulai Branch erupted in a serious campus incident where students allegedly used deepfake technology to create and sell indecent photos involving female classmates and alumni, drawing widespread public attention. The school is currently fully cooperating with the police in an investigation and has taken corresponding actions to ensure student safety.
In response to the incident, the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia (Dong Zong) issued a statement expressing deep concern and extending sincere condolences to all victims.
Dong Zong emphasized that any incidents involving student mental and physical safety and gender-based violence must not be taken lightly, especially against the backdrop of rapid digital technology development. Society and schools must be highly sensitive and work together to prevent the proliferation of new forms of cyber sexual violence.
Dong Zong stated that the victims’ experiences are distressing and urged them to bravely come forward to cooperate with the investigation. It also called on the school to take decisive measures to uphold students’ rights and ensure the incident is handled justly.
The statement further mentioned that after similar incidents occur, the school should immediately activate a contingency mechanism by establishing a permanent crisis team to react quickly, properly protect the victims, and regularly update on the incident’s progress to prevent the spread of false information. Additionally, teachers should continually advance their psychological and counseling knowledge to promptly detect students’ distress and provide appropriate assistance.
Dong Zong urged the public to support the victims’ courage, cease all forms of blame and criticism, and emphasized that “their stepping forward should be commended, not further harmed.” It also condemned the dissemination of false or unverified information, stating that this not only disrupts the investigation but may also cause additional distress to those involved.
To protect the victims, Dong Zong recommended that schools, social welfare agencies, and law enforcement activate relevant psychological counseling and safety protection mechanisms to help the victims through this difficult period and pay attention to the potential psychological impact on other students, ensuring all students receive appropriate care.
“This incident is not merely an isolated campus issue but a new challenge faced by civil society in the digital age.”
Dong Zong stated that only by the entire society working collaboratively to enhance gender equality and digital literacy education can a safer and more dignified learning environment be established.