a day ago
Selangor Pas Youth urges Fadhlina to resign over failure to handle bullying issue
The minister's response failed to address parents' main concern which was the assurance of school safety, says the wing's deputy chief
Muhammad Faizzuddin (left), Fadhlina (right)
SHAH ALAM - Selangor Pas Youth has urged Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek to step down over her failure to provide concrete solutions to the growing bullying crisis in schools.
Its deputy chief Muhammad Faizzuddin Mohd Zai said the wing was disappointed that the minister did not prioritise the issue of bullying during her winding-up speech in the Dewan Rakyat. Photo for illustration purposes only.
'We are not demanding the minister to comment on certain cases that are still in court proceedings, but the people, especially parents, want to know what comprehensive, systematic and proactive actions have been taken by the ministry on this issue,' he said in a statement.
He said several MPs, including Alor Setar MP Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden and Selangor Pas Youth chief Mohamed Sukri Omar, had previously put forward suggestions during the recent #Justice4Zara gathering.
The proposals included conducting a comprehensive safety audit in all boarding schools, installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) in high-risk areas, preparing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling complaints of student disputes and taking firm action against schools that attempt to cover up bullying cases.
Despite this, Faizzuddin claimed that the minister's response failed to address parents' main concern which was the assurance of school safety.
'What is the Education Minister really afraid of? She should have come forward with courage, detailed an action plan and given assurance and commitment on this issue, but instead the opposite happened.
'We believe Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has failed to uphold the trust given to her, especially during a crisis. At this point, she can be regarded as the most disappointing minister in the cabinet,' he said.
Faizzuddin concluded by calling on the minister to resign honourably and make way for someone more capable, bold and serious in addressing the nation's education challenges.
