Ministry strongly condemned any form of racial remarks or behaviour in the education sector.
The Education Ministry has launched an internal investigation after an audio clip surfaced in which a teacher allegedly told a secondary school student to “go back to China” for struggling with the Malay language.
The ministry strongly condemned any form of racial remarks or behaviour in the education sector.
“A comprehensive internal investigation is currently underway regarding the incident,” a ministry spokesperson stated.
The ministry has also arranged a meeting with the student’s parents and is providing psychosocial support services to assist them.
It reaffirmed that all government educational institutions must maintain a safe, inclusive, and respectful environment that embraces students from diverse racial, religious, and cultural backgrounds.
“The ministry offers various specialised training programmes to enhance the professionalism, competency, and ethics of educators, including pedagogical training focused on classroom communication,” the statement added.
In the viral audio clip, a man claiming to be the student’s relative is heard asking the teacher over the phone to confirm whether she had made the remark. The teacher is heard admitting to saying it.
She also allegedly called the student “stupid” and instructed them to “sit near the rubbish bin.”
When confronted, the teacher defended her actions, stating that she had addressed students in this manner before and had never received complaints.
She also reportedly commented that it was a significant issue if the student’s parents could not speak Malay.
When the man refused to reveal his identity, the teacher allegedly threatened to report him for invasion of privacy, claiming he was disturbing her while she was on medical leave. She further stated that her husband, a police officer, could trace the man using his phone number.