JOHOR BARU: The Johor State Education Department has confirmed that a viral video of an angry woman confronting a male teacher for allegedly caning her daughter on the arm and thighs took place at a secondary school in the district.
Its director Azman Adnan said that the incident is still being investigated by the authorities.
"The incident happened at a school in Johor Baru.
"What I can say right now is it’s under police investigation, as the student and her mother have lodged a report," he said when contacted.
In the two-minute-and-28-second video, a woman is heard angrily questioning a male teacher for allegedly caning her daughter, who studies at the school.
The teacher is seen offering his side of the story, but the woman is in no mood to listen as she points to red cane marks on her daughter’s body.
"You should not have done this. Look at the marks (points to the welts on her daughter’s arm).
"Look at her hands. How could you have done this? You are a teacher, you cannot do these kinds of things.
"She did not mean what she said. Did she hit you? She had said sorry... If she had hit you and you hit back, then it’s OK. (You) should not have done this, "she said, while recording the video.
The woman also said the teacher should not have hit her daughter just because he was angry over her remarks.
She said a teacher should teach his students (not hurt them).
The teacher then asked the woman if she had asked her daughter what she had said to him.
She replied “yes, it’s 'aqua’” (transvestite in Mandarin), but maintained her daughter had apologised.
The teacher however said that the apology was only made after she was caned, believed after being urged by her classmates.
He claimed that it was improper for the student to utter such a word to his face.
The mother then confronted a female teacher over the incident.
The video has received mixed reactions from netizens, with some questioning the teacher’s action for causing injuries to his student.
Others, meanwhile, said the teaching profession is becoming more challenging, and that students must always respect teachers.