KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 9 — Allegations that a Johor principal who recently received an excellence award is involved in the sexual grooming of some male students are currently under investigation.

Johor Education Department director Azman Adnan confirmed the matter to national news agency Bernama this morning, in response to social media messages circulating in Johor.

"I am investigating this viral matter,” he was quoted as saying in a WhatApp text.

He added that action will be taken depending on the investigation’s findings.

According to Bernama, the school head whose gender has not been made clear, was accused by an unnamed activist of sending pornographic messages to some male students. The contents have since been widely shared on social media.

This is not the first time a public school head has been accused of sexually preying on students.

Last November, parents of a 14-year-old boy accused another principal in Telipok, Sabah in his 50s of sending sexually inappropriate messages to their son.

Earlier this week, the Perlis police chief disclosed that reports of sexual offences against children in the state have risen 38 per cent.