KUCHING, Jan 5: The Ministry of Welfare, Community Wellbeing, Women, Family and Childhood Development supports the proposal by the Education Ministry to teach Form Five and Primary Six students about statutory rape in their studies starting next year.
Its Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said her ministry has been carrying out sex education programmes for students and other young people in collaboration with other agencies.
“I feel that it is a good move.
“Because when we look at the statistics of statutory rapes in Sarawak, we have seen that in recent years, those who are involved in statutory rapes are those below the age of 16 and under-aged girls.
“Therefore, under my ministry, in particular social development, we have taken steps or preventive measures; for example informing community leaders and non-governmental organisations (NGOs) to bring the awareness and the importance of sex education to the young people,” she said when questioned by reporters after the closing of the Second Malaysia Lions International English Chess Championship for the Disabled event held at a mall here today.
Fatimah was commenting on the proposal by the Education Ministry to enable students to learn about statutory rape and related issue such as child grooming and child sexual harassment.
In November 2019, Deputy Education Minister Teo Nie Ching announced that students in Form Five and Primary Six will need to learn about statutory rape and related issue starting 2021.
She revealed that those topics will be included in the Pendidikan Jasmani dan Kesihatan (PJK) syllabus and Physical Education textbooks for Form 5 and Year 6 students.
Fatimah added, “We have organised programme to educate teenagers on teenage pregnancy.
“We have also organised the programme in schools as well as in collaboration with the Parent-Teacher Associations and inter-agencies,” she revealed.
Fatimah added the awareness programme organised by her ministry included information on teenage pregnancy, marriage, statutory rapes, punishments as well as the laws involved when a related crime has been committed. — DayakDaily
