KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 25 — Malaysian students living in Thailand who have to cross Sungai Golok via illegal bases daily to go to school in Malaysia will be placed in hostels.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said discussions are being held with the students' relatives to place them in suitable dormitories as a measure to guarantee their safety and ensure the students' education can continue.
The action is among the initial steps taken for students under the management of the Education Ministry (MOE), following the decision of the National Security Council meeting yesterday to enforce a ban on crossing the border using illegal bases along Sungai Golok, starting December 1.
"For me, the matter must be resolved before December 1, so I have asked the director-general to ensure that the Kelantan Education Department provides the dormitories.
"This is a very crucial and significant action for us to implement to ensure their safety is guaranteed and at the same time, they can continue their education," she said during a press conference after the launching of the Sahsiah Ambassador Kit in Sentul today.
Fadhlina added that among other measures taken is to ensure that students involved have valid passes to cross the gazetted border route.
Earlier, it was reported that nearly 500 students from Thailand use illegal bases to cross the Sungai Golok, every day to go to school in Malaysia.
Among the illegal bases that are in focus are the Jambu, Ibrahim Pencen and Paun bases with a boat charge of RM1 imposed on students to cross the border.
In another development, the minister stressed that the MOE will not compromise on any administrators including school principals who are found to be hiding cases of students involved in drugs.
Based on the standard operating procedures set, every disciplinary case involving a crime must be reported to the respective District Education Office (PPD) and the State Education Department (JPN), before the school begins discussions with parents and the community.
"So cases cannot be hidden, they must be reported and we have asked PPD and JPN to also pay attention to this issue," she said, commenting on the tactics of drug trafficking syndicates that are now targeting school students, including those in rural areas to expand their activities.
Earlier, when speaking at the event, Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department director Datuk Wan Hassan Wan Ahmad said that the involvement of students in criminal cases is increasing, especially involving bullying and gangsterism.
From January to June this year alone, 237 students were detected to be involved in violent crimes such as rioting, criminal threats, extortion, brawling, and mischief.
The same period also saw 799 students reporting being victims of rape.
"Although the number is small compared to the actual number of primary and secondary school students which exceeds five million, it is important to take preventive actions to curb any increase in future," he said.
— Bernama
