Kota Kinabalu: Kota Kinabalu Police Chief, ACP Kasim Muda said a Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) proposal for installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in schools to prevent crimes, student misconduct and other disciplinary issues is worth considering.
Especially in known “hotspot” areas with high-risk incidents.
“But its implementation will depend on the financial capacity of the schools and the relevant authorities,” he said after a strategic collaboration programme between police (PDRM) and the Kota Kinabalu District Education Department (PPD), Wednesday.
The programme, the second of its kind this year, aims to strengthen ties between police and schools in the district to address security and disciplinary issues involving students.
Kasim said among the key focus areas of the cooperation are crimes, drug-related offences, traffic violations and commercial crimes. Principals and teachers were advised on how to manage criminal cases within school grounds.
Since the initiative was launched earlier this year, there has been a noticeable drop in student-related crimes around Kota Kinabalu.
“So far, there have been no cases involving drugs or commercial crimes. As for minor criminal cases such as fights, only two to three cases were reported and were classified under Section 323 of the Penal Code,” he said.
On incidents involving students that have gone viral, he said many were not new but being re-shared irresponsibly.
“The resurfacing of old cases has caused confusion and unnecessary concern among the public. I urge everyone not to spread unverified information,” he stressed.
He also advised the public to report any relevant information directly to the authorities instead of circulating unconfirmed news, which could undermine investigations.
“Every case needs to be investigated by the police and the Education Department. We don’t want anyone to be made a scapegoat, which could compromise the integrity of the investigation.
“If a case goes viral before being investigated, it can complicate legal proceedings, especially when the case is brought to court,” he said.
Kasim said Police and the PPD are paying close attention to the issue of student bullying, which has been gaining increasing public attention.
“We’re focusing on three types of bullying — physical, verbal, and cyberbullying. We are working on a joint approach with schools to address this problem in a consistent manner,” he said.
Kasim revealed that over 30 cases involving underage sexual relationships have been recorded in the district so far this year.
“These cases are classified as rape under the law as they involve minors, even if the relationships were consensual. This is largely due to social media influence and a lack of sexual education,” he said.
Kassim said most of the cases have been investigated and resolved, but police will continue implementing preventive programmes in collaboration with schools and communities to curb the issue.
“Even though not all of the cases involve school students, underaged teens remain a concern as they are easily influenced and lack awareness of social consequences and legal implications,” he said.
Meanwhile, Kota Kinabalu District Education Officer Suhaimi Matshah said schools strictly adhere to the standard operating procedures (SOP) set by the Ministry of Education (MoE) when dealing with disciplinary cases, including bullying.
“We have clear guidelines in place. Reports must be submitted within one, three, or seven days depending on the severity of the case. The school will then forward the report to the PPD and subsequently to the State Education Department.
“During this process, neither the school nor the PPD is allowed to issue any media statement. Therefore, we urge the public to remain patient and trust the process, as we are following the guidelines given to us,” said Suhaimi.
