ALOR SETAR: Keat Hwa High School in the center of sexual harassment controversy has started reform with open recruitment for principal and other staff, following the release of investigation report by the United School Committees’ Association of Kedah.

The school’s board of directors announced that it accepted the report and pledged to adopt the recommendations proposed by the Kedah committee, which is under the United Chinese School Committees’ Association of Malaysia, also known as Dong Zong.

In a recruitment notice, the school board seeks to fill seven key positions in the school.

The positions are: principal, vice principal, discipline director, counseling director, history teacher, physics teacher and art teacher.

The school’s administrative staff have also been changed, reflecting a complete overhaul of the school administration.

The school’s principal Chang Siew Hong tendered resignation citing health reasons, while vice principal Khor Chee Beng also stepped down on May 1 in the midst of the sexual harassment controversy.

The school board said it cooperated with the independent investigation conducted by the special committee set up by the United School Committees’ Association of Kedah.

In a statement, Ch’ng Chwn Leong, chairman of the United School Committees’ Association of Kedah, said the investigation by the special committee found that the school was negligent and there were shortcomings in the governance of the school system.

The investigation found that the school received complaints from a student and two graduates in 2018.

After completing the investigation, the school arranged for the teacher involved to sign an apology statement addressed to the student and the case was closed—without conducting investigation into the incidents reported by the two graduates of the school.

“The management of the school lacked sensitivity toward this issue. It has failed to conduct a thorough investigation and did not impose preventive measures such as suspension of the teacher involved. This has led to more students becoming victims,” Ch’ng said.

The absence of an anonymous reporting channel and the lack of a specialized team to handle sexual harassment have affected the students who do not have an avenue to file complaints and have opted to remain silent out of fear of retaliation, he said.

It was also revealed that the school board was not informed of the 2018 incident.

A student and a graduate of the school lodged police reports against a male teacher alleging sexual harassment on April 18.

A 34-year-old male teacher was remanded for four days by the police for investigation into the sexual harassment complaints.

The police, which received a total of seven reports from the victims—one student and six graduates of the school, had since submitted the investigation papers to the Attorney-General’s Chambers for further action.