KUALA LUMPUR – The Parent Action Group for Education (PAGE) has called for students involved in the Melaka rape case to be permitted to defer this year’s Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination.
PAGE chairperson Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim emphasised that rape is a serious crime, further exacerbated by the fact that the alleged gang rape occurred at a school and was recorded as though it were a form of entertainment.
She said rape is a violent act and should be treated with far greater seriousness than bullying.
“For PAGE, not every student can be saved. This is an extremely serious and severe offence.
“Perhaps they could sit for the SPM during the resit session or next year instead. There’s no need to rush for them to sit for it this year, as they must first face legal action,” she told Scoop when contacted.
Recent media reports revealed that all four students accused of raping a female student at a secondary school in Alor Gajah have been permitted to sit for the SPM, scheduled to begin on November 3.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek was reported as stating that the decision to allow the students to sit for the examination was made to ensure their education was not disrupted, despite the ongoing legal proceedings.
She confirmed that the legal process would be handled entirely by the police, while her ministry would focus on disciplinary action, the school ecosystem, and providing emotional and psychosocial support for all parties involved.
Noor Azimah said the primary concern now was not only whether the students should sit for the SPM but the broader issue of ensuring safety for all students in schools.
She added that in the United States, similar cases could be prosecuted as adult offences, rather than as juvenile cases.
“The students involved should already have been suspended or expelled from school.
“There was a case in Sabah last year where an SPM candidate was expelled for smoking in the toilet, yet was still allowed to sit for the exam.
“But that was a disciplinary offence, not a criminal act. It’s reasonable to give such students another chance to take their SPM — but not in cases involving rape,” she said. – October 13, 2025