All four students accused of gang-raping a Form Three girl at a school in Alor Gajah, Melaka, have been immediately expelled, the Education Ministry confirmed.
Education Director-General Dr. Mohd Azam Ahmad said the decision was made by the School Disciplinary Board, which convened earlier today.
“The School Disciplinary Board met today and decided to expel all the students involved,” he announced during a special press conference at the Ministry of Education (MOE).
The shocking incident allegedly took place around 2:50 p.m. on October 2, when the victim returned to her classroom on the third floor to retrieve materials for a science project. She was reportedly dragged into the room, where two suspects took turns raping her, while two others watched and recorded the assault on their phones.
The crime came to light last Friday after the victim’s mother received information about a viral video of the assault circulating among students, prompting her to file a police report.
Dr. Mohd Azam stated that the expelled students will not sit for their Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examinations at the same school. Instead, they will take the national exam at a detention center or an alternate location arranged by education authorities.
“They will not return to the same school. Their identities will be kept confidential to ensure their examinations can proceed smoothly,” he explained.
He added that students who are expelled may reapply to continue their education — but at a different school. The arrangements for their SPM exams will be managed by district and state education offices (PPD and JPN).
Dr. Mohd Azam emphasized that the suspects are still entitled to sit for the SPM, saying, “Our principle at the MOE is simple — a person is innocent until proven guilty by the court.”
However, he stressed that this does not mean the suspects will escape punishment if found guilty.
He also acknowledged that while sexual assault cases in schools are not new, this particular incident gained widespread attention because it was widely circulated on social media.
Meanwhile, police have remanded four Form Five students for six days, until Thursday, to assist investigations under Section 375B of the Penal Code for gang rape.
