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The allegation came to light when women’s rights advocate and gender equality researcher at ISIS Malaysia, Tashny Sukumaran, posted on Twitter that a student studying at ERT Vocational College in Setapak reached out to her about the incident.
The student alleged that she and about 30 other young women aged 18 and 19 were rounded up and given cotton buds to prove they were on their periods at 7.50pm last Monday, 18 October.
“According to her, these period checks had stopped for awhile after the furor earlier this year, but began again just because someone performed their prayers alone instead of with others at the hostel surau,” Tashny tweeted.
She added that the students tried to push back against the instructions given but were ignored.
“If you feel uncomfortable about it, then perform your prayers,” they were allegedly told, implying the students were using menstruation as an excuse to escape congregational prayers.
On her Twitter thread posted at 2pm on Tuesday, 26 October, Tashny urged Radzi and the Ministry of Education (MOE) to urgently look into the matter.
The team responded that Radzi had just finished visiting schools in Sarawak, and upon reading Tashny’s Twitter thread, will make his way to the school immediately after landing at Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA).
At about 11pm, they announced that the minister had arrived at the school and was personally questioning the students in absence of their wardens and teachers.
In a Facebook statement later, Radzi said that he is taking the allegations seriously.
“I visited tonight to listen and to get feedback straight from the students at the school involved. Besides that, we have also listened to the explanations given by the teachers and the school principal,” he said, and also assured that they will investigate the matters raised during the visit.
“If such practices are found at any institution under MOE, we are committed to ensure that they no longer continue,” he said.
During the visit, the minister was also accompanied by MOE secretary-general Yusran Shah Mohd Yusof and director-general Nor Zamani Abdol Hamid.
“He also took notes, and his wife and several female officers were there. My sources say [the students] felt more comfortable because of this,” she said.
Tashny also updated later that the students hope that the college’s Majlis Perwakilan Pelajar (student representative council) are taken to task for being the main instigator of the issues at their school.
“They also don’t want severe punishments doled out, but want structural changes [to be set in place] so this doesn’t happen again,” she said.
1. WOMEN’S AID ORGANISATION (WAO)
Operating hours: 24-hour
Contact: +603-30008858
SMS/WhatsApp: +6018-9888058
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2. ALL WOMEN’S ACTION SOCIETY (AWAM)
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Contact: +603-78770224
WhatsApp/Telegram: +6016-2284221 | +6016-2374221
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3. WOMEN’S CENTRE FOR CHANGE PENANG (WCC PENANG)
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Contact: +604-2280342 | +604-3988340
WhatsApp: +6011-31084001 | +6016-4180342
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4. SARAWAK WOMEN FOR WOMEN SOCIETY (SWWS)
Operating hours: Monday (7pm – 9pm),Tuesday to Thursday (9.30am – 11.30am), Saturday (2pm – 4pm)
Contact: +6082-368853
SMS/WhatsApp: +6016-5822660 | +6013-8044285
Email: [email protected]
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5. SABAH WOMEN’S ACTION-RESOURCE GROUP (SAWO)
Operating hours: Monday to Friday (9am – 5pm)
Contact: +6088-280200 | +6011-27908020
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7. INTERNET WATCH FOUNDATION (IWF)
Anonymously and confidentially report child sexual abuse content and non-photographic child sexual abuse images with IWF’s Reporting Portal.