Stop the shaming, Sarawak minister urges after Kuching school attack

Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah, Minister for Women, Early Childhood, and Community Wellbeing Development, has urged the public to refrain from sharing footage of a recent school incident in Kuching, citing potential violations of the involved child's rights and the risk of further distress.

Following an incident where a 16-year-old student allegedly attacked a teacher with an axe, Fatimah emphasized the importance of accountability alongside compassion, advocating for school safety while ensuring the student receives necessary support.

She highlighted concerns over social media's use as a platform for public judgment and called for understanding and guidance over condemnation.

The ongoing investigation is being conducted under relevant sections of the Penal Code and Explosives Act.

KUCHING, Oct 22 — Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Minister Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah has urged the public to refrain from circulating videos of a recent school incident in Kuching involving a male student, warning that doing so could violate the child’s rights and expose those involved to further distress and online harassment.

Fatimah stressed that social media should not become a platform for public shaming or trial by public opinion, adding that members of the public should exercise restraint and avoid speculation while the matter is being investigated by the relevant authorities.

“The adolescent involved is still growing and developing. While harmful behaviour must be addressed, we must not be quick to condemn, label, or shame a young person without understanding the circumstances surrounding the incident,” she said in a statement.

On Wednesday, police confirmed that investigations are underway involving a 16-year-old male student, who allegedly attacked a teacher with an axe at an international school in Kuching, following a report received at 8.03am through the MERS 999 emergency line.

Acting Sarawak Police Commissioner DCP Saifullizan Ishak said the case is being investigated under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means, as well as Section 6(1) of the Explosives Act 1957.

Fatimah said accountability and compassion are not mutually exclusive, emphasising that school safety must be upheld while ensuring the student is treated with dignity and receives appropriate guidance and support.

She also expressed concern over a statement reportedly shared by the student on Facebook expressing feelings of loneliness and isolation, saying that such expressions should not be dismissed.

“I am particularly concerned by the words reportedly shared by the adolescent on Facebook: ‘I have no one. I have no significant other. I have no one to rely on. I was born alone and will die alone’,” she quoted.

“Every child deserves to feel valued, heard, and supported. When a young person says, ‘I have no one,’ our response should be to help them access the support they need, not to deepen their sense of isolation.”

Fatimah said the responsibility was twofold: ensuring schools remained safe places for teachers and students while giving young people facing difficulties the opportunity to receive appropriate support and move forward constructively.

She acknowledged the continued efforts of teachers, school administrators, and the relevant authorities to safeguard teachers and students, stressing that any incident involving violence or the use of a weapon must be taken seriously and addressed appropriately to protect the entire school community.

She added that the ministry remains committed to promoting an environment where safety, dignity, compassion, and accountability go hand in hand.

“Let us choose responsibility over sensationalism, guidance over humiliation, and compassion without compromising safety,” she said. — The Borneo Post

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妇女、幼儿及社区福祉发展部长拿督斯里法蒂玛·阿卜杜拉敦促公众不要分享最近发生在古晋的一起学校事件的视频，理由是这可能会侵犯涉事儿童的权利，并可能造成进一步的痛苦。

在一名 16 岁学生涉嫌用斧头袭击老师的事件发生后，法蒂玛强调了问责制与同情心同等重要，倡导校园安全，同时确保该学生获得必要的支持。

她强调了社交媒体被用作公众评判平台的担忧，并呼吁人们给予理解和引导，而不是谴责。

目前，调查工作正在依据《刑法》和《爆炸物法》的相关条款进行。

古晋，10月22日讯——妇女、幼儿及社区福祉发展部长拿督斯里法蒂玛·阿卜杜拉敦促公众不要传播最近发生在古晋的一起涉及男学生的校园事件视频，并警告说，这样做可能会侵犯儿童的权利，并使相关人员遭受进一步的痛苦和网络骚扰。

法蒂玛强调，社交媒体不应成为公开羞辱或舆论审判的平台，并补充说，在有关当局调查此事期间，公众应保持克制，避免猜测。

“涉事青少年仍在成长发育。虽然有害行为必须得到纠正，但我们不应在不了解事件来龙去脉的情况下，就急于谴责、贴标签或羞辱年轻人，”她在声明中说。

周三，警方证实，他们正在调查一名16岁男学生涉嫌在古晋一所国际学校用斧头袭击教师的案件。警方于上午8点03分通过MERS 999紧急热线接到报案。

砂拉越代理警察总监赛夫利赞·伊沙克表示，此案正在根据《刑法》第324条（使用危险武器或手段故意伤人）以及1957年《爆炸物法》第6(1)条进行调查。

法蒂玛表示，问责制和同情心并不相互排斥，她强调，在维护校园安全的同时，必须确保学生受到尊重，并获得适当的指导和支持。

她还对据称该学生在 Facebook 上分享的表达孤独和孤立感的声明表示担忧，称不应忽视此类表达。

“我尤其担心这名青少年在Facebook上分享的这些话：‘我孤身一人。我没有伴侣。我没有可以依靠的人。我生来孤独，死亦孤独。’”她引用道。

“每个孩子都应该感受到被重视、被倾听和被支持。当一个年轻人说‘我没有依靠’时，我们的回应应该是帮助他们获得所需的帮助，而不是加深他们的孤立感。”

法蒂玛表示，责任有两方面：一是确保学校对师生而言仍然是安全的地方，二是让面临困难的年轻人有机会获得适当的支持，并朝着建设性的方向前进。

她肯定了教师、学校管理人员和相关部门为保护师生所做出的持续努力，并强调任何涉及暴力或使用武器的事件都必须严肃对待，并得到妥善处理，以保护整个学校社区。

她补充说，该部将继续致力于营造一个安全、尊严、同情和责任并重的环境。

“让我们选择责任而非哗众取宠，选择引导而非羞辱，选择同情而非牺牲安全，”她说道。——《婆罗洲邮报》

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