KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 — The principal of Foon Yew High School’s Kulai campus has resigned amid a growing sexual misconduct scandal and widespread criticism over the school’s handling of student complaints.
Gan Chuang Chee submitted his resignation on April 12, which the school board accepted during a meeting held the following day.
“After careful discussions, the board of directors unanimously decided to respect Principal Gan’s resignation,” the school announced in a notice posted on its official website.
Foon Yew High School, founded in 1913 and now the largest Chinese vernacular independent school in Malaysia, operates three campuses in Stulang Laut, Kulai and Masai.
The controversy began earlier this month when a male student was accused of creating deepfake pornographic images of schoolmates and teachers for sale online. The victims alleged inaction by the school authorities.
Police have arrested a 16-year-old student believed to be the mastermind, and a 19-year-old accomplice, while the school said on April 10 that the perpetrator had been expelled.
New allegations have since emerged, including a 2012 graduate’s claim that a male teacher at the Kulai campus had repeatedly touched her inappropriately when she was a student.
She said it took more than a decade of reflection and therapy — partly influenced by Taiwan’s #MeToo movement in 2023 — to recognise the abuse as an abuse of power rather than affection.
