(Kuala Lumpur, 24th) The Dong Zong expresses high concern over the recent reports of power-related sexual assault cases at several independent Chinese schools and extends profound sympathy to all victims. At the same time, it acknowledges the proactive attitude of school authorities in handling related incidents and strongly condemns the perpetrators involved!
As stated in a press release today, the Dong Zong highlights the significant educational responsibility it bears and is committed to taking the matter seriously. To prevent the recurrence of similar incidents, it is essential for all parties to conduct deep reflections and objective reviews, rationally integrating various forces across systems, culture, and education. This multifaceted approach aims to strengthen regulations and continuously deepen the construction of gender equality awareness.
The Dong Zong firmly maintains a zero-tolerance stance toward any form of power-related sexual assault occurring in any setting, be it in families, schools, workplaces, or social groups. Especially in the school environment, it is crucial for any victim to receive timely protection, assistance, and counseling to avoid second trauma during their pursuit of legal redress.
It emphasizes that the despicable actions of a few black sheep have unjustly tainted the reputation of other diligent and dedicated educators, casting a heavy stigma on the Chinese independent school education supported and developed by the Chinese community over the years.
Therefore, the Dong Zong has planned a series of campus sexual violence prevention education seminars, inviting directors, principals, administrative staff, homeroom teachers, and faculty members from the national independent Chinese school education system to listen to both domestic and international experts on the prevention of sexual harassment or violence in education. Scholars will also explain the reporting mechanisms, handling processes, accountability, and policy guidelines related to such incidents, combining case studies and shared experiences, protection mechanisms, support networks, and preventive measures. The seminars will also exchange ideas on institutional culture, propose action suggestions, and reflect on digital responsibility and media literacy to cultivate awareness of online safety and self-protection.
Meanwhile, the Dong Zong has convened several emergency meetings with relevant professionals, drawing on literature from educational institutions both at home and abroad to develop incident handling processes. These cover reporting channels, division of responsibilities, investigation procedures, monitoring, methods of punishment, appeal mechanisms, and support systems, providing a reference for schools soon.
In addition, regarding teacher training, the annual new teacher training courses held by the Dong Zong include content on gender equality education and teacher ethics. There are plans to further enhance teachers’ awareness of gender equality and professional ethics. Furthermore, to strengthen gender equality education, the curriculum compiled by the Dong Zong for independent Chinese schools has incorporated relevant content, especially in subjects like Civic Education, Counseling Activities in junior high, and General Studies in senior high. Other subjects, such as Malay, Chinese, History, and Economics, also include discussions on gender equality with selected readings and case studies.
The Dong Zong states that such incidents are not unique to independent Chinese schools; similar cases also occur in government schools and workplaces. For instance, in 2021, a then 17-year-old Malay female student, Ain, exposed an incident involving a male teacher making "rape jokes," which is a typical case. Recently, there were reports of a 47-year-old male teacher in a national primary school in Taman Lining, Skudai, being detained by the police for allegedly sexually harassing three 9-year-old girls physically.
These incidents reflect that local society is still influenced by deeply ingrained patriarchy, with weak awareness of gender equality. Many even view male domination and exploitation of females as a display of male authority and rationalize it.
Through dual promotion of education and systems, the Dong Zong hopes to strive to eliminate gender myths, biases, and discrimination on campuses, actively creating a gender-friendly environment, and thoroughly eradicating power-related harassment and misconduct in schools. It also calls on the government to take these issues seriously, listen to public opinions and demands from various sectors, including representatives, commentators, experts, scholars, community leaders, women’s organizations, and youth groups, and substantially strengthen legislation, amendment, and enforcement efforts, implementing gender protection governance mechanisms across all fields to curb any gender violence incidents, categorizing them as serious criminal offenses.
The Dong Zong asserts that apart from reinforcing the sexual assault and harassment guidelines issued in 2023, the Ministry of Education should also fully implement sex education in schools at all levels according to international standards, and extend the applicable targets to teachers and parents, not just students. The government must mobilize national resources and decisively promote national digital literacy education and sex education to achieve overall awareness and protect all citizens from similar threats and traumas.
The Dong Zong urges all parties to work together to promote gender equality education on campuses and foster institutional reforms, turning the recent series of unfortunate events into a starting point for collective learning and profound reflection in society. Only by collectively correcting mistakes can the overall gender awareness on campuses be enhanced, creating a truly safe, friendly, and respectful learning environment for every child.