11/07/2007: Money for silence :Victim

• Victim, eyewitnesses in school bullying case allegedly paid to keep their mouths shut

“Parents are worried that their children could be the next victims if efforts are not made to correct the disciplinary problem in school.”

He said among the complaints these few days, “the worst is the allegation that hundreds of thousands of ringgit have been poured in to silence the victim and the eyewitnesses so that the case can be settled without a trace”.

Tiong did not mention whether there had been an attempt to corrupt the investigating officers, only that “if there is a need, I shall write to the Anti-corruption Agency to request their help”.
Before the matter worsened, he hoped the police would thoroughly investigate and prevent any attempt to use money to settle the case.

“If the allegation is true, this will set a very bad example for youngsters. The children of rich parents will then say, ‘Have no fear. Daddy has got the money. We can do whatever we want’.”
He said the money would also erode the moral values of society, and in the end the people would suffer especially the younger generations.

With the alleged use of money, he said the video clip on the Internet would be just a “game” that the students played as a joke.

Tiong said he would be disappointed if money was really used as a silencer because it would show that it could be used to pervert the legal system “and in the end, we are telling others that this is a lawless country”.

He said a person might be able to seal the lips of those involved in the case, but he could not seal the lips of all people in Sibu, and in the end the truth would eventually surface.

The Member of Parliament said in the calls that he received, the parents had asked whether the investigation should start only when their children had been forced to swallow nails and broken glasses instead of stones.

“They are waiting for an explanation from the police, the Education Department and the schools involved.”
He was puzzled as to why the police in Sibu had to hand over the case to the Education Department because it involved criminal elements.

He said he understood the efforts of the parents to give the best to their children, but he insisted they should never spare the rod and spoil the child.

“Education is important because your children will become what you have taught them to be when they grow up.”

He said it was important for them to work with their children’s schools, and if criminal elements were involved they ought to work with the police.

He hoped the police would ensure that justice prevailed at the end of the investigation.

Tiong believed the recent violent incident was just a tip of the iceberg, for quite a few incidents lately had indicated that disciplinary problem in schools had deteriorated.

He said he had even received complaints from teachers that if they dared to be tough on their students, their cars would end up being scratched and damaged.

“There are even allegations that students have threatened to use gangsters to “punish” or “show their colours” to the teachers whom they dislike.

“I hope there will not be such days when CCTV will have to be installed in school to control the movement of the students. Act now before it is too late,” he said.