PUTRAJAYA, Oct 13 — All four students suspected in the gang rape case of a Form 3 student at a school in Alor Gajah, Melaka, have been expelled.
According to Berita Harian (BH), Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad, the Director-General of Education, said the decision was made by the school discipline board during a meeting today.
“The school discipline board convened today and has decided to expel all the suspects involved,” he was quoted as saying during a special press conference at the Ministry of Education (MOE) here.
He also stated that the suspects will not be sitting for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) exams at the same school. Instead, they will sit for the public exam either at a detention centre or another location separate from their original school.
“Once the students are expelled, they may apply to enrol in a different school, but not the same one. They will attend a different school, and we will keep their identities confidential to ensure that their exam process is managed properly,” he told the press.
“If they are placed in a detention centre, we already have procedures in the Examination Management Handbook by the Malaysian Examination Board (LPM), and we will follow the existing procedures to manage this,” he added.
Asked where the exams would take place, Mohd Azam said the arrangements would be handled by officers at the district education office and the state education department.
According to BH, Mohd Azam stated that the students are entitled to sit for their SPM exams, and the Ministry of Education would ensure that they have the opportunity to do so.
“They have registered as SPM candidates, and we will make sure they are given the chance to sit for the exams. Our principle at the Ministry of Education is simple: no one is guilty until proven so in court. That has always been our principle,” he said.
However, Mohd Azam stressed that the permission for the suspects to sit for the SPM exams does not mean they will escape punishment.
Two days ago, four Form 5 students were remanded for six days until Thursday to assist in investigations under Section 375B of the Penal Code for gang rape.
