A DAP MP today slammed the decision to transfer a teacher accused of abusing a student to another school, saying that teachers should be suspended instead pending an investigation in such cases.

Kasthuri Patto said teachers alleged to have emotionally, sexually or physically abused their students should not be allowed to be in the presence of children “until and unless he or she has undergone a psychological or psychiatric assessment first”.
The Batu Kawan MP was responding to a news report that a teacher in Sabah who allegedly stapled a student’s ear for failing to do his homework had been transferred to another school.
A police report has since been lodged, while the teacher was told to go for counselling.
Kasthuri, who is a member of the Parliamentary Special Select Committee for Human Rights and Gender Equality, said there was no guarantee that the teacher would not repeat her action in another school.
“And worse if it is beyond stapling a child’s ear,” she said in a statement.
She also wondered if there was an internal probe carried out on the incident, saying the fact that she had been transferred “indicates that she had indeed stapled the ear of her student”.
Kasthuri said if the incident had occurred outside the school compound, the case would have been probed under the Child Act 2001.
“What happened to the boy is clear as stated in the provision of the Child Act, so why has the teacher been transferred instead of a suspension for the matter to be thoroughly investigated by the police?” – FMT