THE relevance of corporal punishment was again under the spotlight when the Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court fined a man RM10,000 on Oct 24 for caning his stepson.
The beatings occurred when the six-year-old boy was unable to complete his mathematics homework. This was after he had been up since 5am helping his stepfather and mother prepare nasi lemak for their food business.
It was reported that the issue came to light when a visiting nurse from Klinik Kesihatan Kuala Lumpur noticed bruises on the student’s arm during a vaccination programme at the school.
The issue was reported to the student’s class teacher and the Social Welfare Department (JKM), who took him to see a doctor.
The stepfather was charged under Section 31 (1)(a) of te Child Act 2021 for exposing a child to physical injury. The court handed down the RM10,000 sentence after the stepfather pleaded guilty to the charge. He will face six months’ jail if he fails to pay the summons.
The court also ordered the man to be placed on a five-year good behaviour bond, undergo parenting counselling organised by JKM, and carry out 200 hours of community service within six months.
Deputy public prosecutor Noorhani Muhmmed Ayub asked the court to impose a deterrent sentence against the accused to teach him a lesson and to prevent other parents from committing the same offence.
Does the punishment sound a bit heavy handed or is it a necessary deterrent?
The use of the rotan to instill discipline was recently highlighted with many parents commenting that it was normal in Malaysian households. Many seem to believe in the saying ‘spare the rod and spoil the child’.
Schools are also in the spotlight as to who can administer corporal punishment and to what degree. Some NGOs and concerned parents have spoken out against the practice of caning while others have commented that classrooms would be in chaos without some modicum of discipline.
Although the case above may have seen excessive force being administered to register concern among the visiting nurse, teachers, and social welfare department, the question remains as to a parent’s right to instill discipline in their children.
A fine balancing act is very much required lest society be flooded with spoilt brats. But that also means the caning must not be so violent as to constitute grievous bodily harm. – Oct 27, 2023
