KUALA LUMPUR, April 23 — The Women, Family and Community Development Ministry (KPWKM) will investigate and monitor school allegedly conducting ‘period spot checks’ against female students during Ramadan.
Viewing the issue seriously, its Minister Datuk Seri Rina Mohd Harun said that the incident should not have occurred, and as such, investigations will be carried out to ensure that it will not be repeated.
“This is inappropriate and should not have happened at schools. I view it seriously and will follow-up with the relevant ministry such as the Education Ministry as well as Mara (Majlis Amanah Rakyat), so that it will not happen again.
“In today’s age and time, this is really shocking and cannot be accepted,” she said to media after launching the 2021 Srikandi Muda Leadership Empowerment programme today.
Yesterday, Mara chairman Datuk Azizah Mohd Dun, in a statement, said that Mara has begun an internal investigation on the allegations involving a Mara Junior Science College (MRSM), which conducted such inspections to prevent students from skipping prayers during the fasting month.
Prior to this, several students had exposed the shocking practice via Twitter, and the post since went viral.
It involved allegations that they were asked to take off their underwear to prove that they were having their period and unable to fast.
Meanwhile, Umno Wanita chief Datuk Seri Noraini Ahmad has urged the relevant parties to immediately conduct an investigation to tackle the problem so that it would not tarnish the image of schools in the country.
She said schools should be a calm, fun and loving place for students to gain knowledge happily, not to feel threatened or disturbed.
Noraini said the “period spot checks” not only degraded the dignity of the students but also violated their privacy and that it could be described as sexual harassment.
“I believe that such an action is against the norm or the national education policy,” she said in a statement today. — Bernama
