THE Perikatan Nasional (PN) government must address the issues of rape jokes and period spot checks that have occurred in schools instead of sweeping them under the carpet, said Hannah Yeoh.

She said ministers were not paid to stay silent over such issues and urged them to be serious about rectifying the matters.

“Denying the problem is pure laziness. Accepting the status quo isn’t good enough. Keeping quiet or hoping the problem will go away isn’t what they have been paid to do.

“Malaysians expect ministers and deputy ministers like Radzi Jidin, Rina Harun and Siti Zailah to buck up and take the bull by the horns,” said the former deputy women, family and community development minister in a statement today.

She pointed out that ministers in the previous Pakatan Harapan government had been proactive in resolving such issues.

The Segambut MP was referring to two recent student cases that had caused a public outcry.

The first was of teenager Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, who was threatened with rape after she posted on social media that a physical fitness and health education teacher in school had made sexually offensive statements that appeared to encourage his students to commit rape.

Ain had urged the authorities to make school a safer place for students. Some of her classmates had subsequently threatened her with rape over the post.

She now faces expulsion for missing school while no action has been taken to investigate the teacher who allegedly made the rape jokes.

In the second case, students had recently revealed that they have had to endure period checks in school by their teachers.

Hannah condemned the government’s silence and inaction on those issues.

“I am horrified by the inaction of the PN ministers in dealing with the recent period checks and rape jokes news.

“Ain first tweeted on April 24. Two weeks later, the situation has spiralled out of control from an alleged rape joke, threat of rape, ‘tutup aurat’, freedom to hijab to warning of suspension from school.

“In the case of the period checks, Education Minister Radzi Jidin was reported as saying “...we’ve asked all divisions and the answer was no (such practices existed)”.

“Inaction by those in power will send a wrong message to both perpetrators and victims,” she said.

In comparison, she said the previous PH government had dealt with such similar problems swiftly, including taking severe action against the perpetrator.

She was referring to a sexual harassment case in Sungai Buloh Hospital involving a civil servant which had received a prompt response from the then health minister.

“In 2018 soon after PH ministers and deputy ministers were sworn in, the news exposed the case of a huge sexual harassment case involving one head of department in Sungai Buloh Hospital and multiple house officers.

“Dr Dzulkefly (Ahmad) took immediate action by forming an independent inquiry body including representatives from the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM).

“As the deputy minister for KPWKM, I was roped in multiple subsequent meetings with Dzulkefly and observed his firm commitment to stem out sexual harassment.”

She said that after a period of suspension and the testimonies of 38 witnesses, the perpetrator was finally sacked from public service.

“I also witnessed Dr Wan Azizah (quickly get) off her chair to comfort the house officers when they started crying while sharing about their traumatic ordeal,” she said, adding that quick actions by those in power will send the right message to both perpetrators and victims. – May 10, 2021.