Lawmakers push for sex education overhaul to combat rising grooming cases involving kids as young as eight

KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 11 — Malaysian lawmakers urged the government to revise the Reproductive and Social Health Education (Peers) module after a few visits to several primary and secondary schools in the country.

The Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development revealed its finding that children as young as eight years old are involved in sexual grooming cases.

“After visiting these institutions, the committee found that the age of children involved in cases of sexual crimes, sexual grooming, and issues related to sexuality was as young as eight years old.

“We believe there is a need to assess whether children in Malaysia truly understand issues related to sexuality in schools. Is the health education syllabus taught in schools adequate to protect our children from the increasingly worrying risks of sexual crimes?” the committee chairman Yeo Bee Yin asked during a briefing session in the Dewan Rakyat this morning.

Yeo, who is also the Puchong MP, said that the Peers syllabus must be changed to keep up with the times.

“It is time to re-examine the Peers syllabus and when it is taught as our children mature faster at a younger age,” she said.

Yeo said the committee suggests that the Education Ministry add a few more aspects in children’s curricula including a more comprehensive definition of paedophilia and better awareness of sexually transmitted diseases (STD).

“They must be taught where it is safe for others to touch them, especially involving family members or people they know,” she said.

She also suggested separating boys and girls during Peers classes and designing the syllabus to suit each gender.

“This will help them feel more comfortable discussing sensitive topics and create a better learning environment,” she said.

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