CCTV alone won't make schools safer, say parents' group and security expert [WATCH]

KUALA LUMPUR: The installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras at 1,000 schools next year will only improve student safety if it is supported by effective monitoring, supervision and reporting, said a parent's advocacy group and a security expert.

Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia (PAGE) chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim welcomed the allocation but said success must be measured by actual student safety rather than the number of cameras installed.

Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that the government would allocate an additional RM15 million to install CCTV cameras at schools to enhance student safety.

Noor Azimah said CCTV should complement, rather than replace, basic safety measures.

"Cameras can record what happened, but they cannot replace supervision, reporting mechanisms, trained wardens, safety audits and swift intervention.

"Ultimately, parents should not have to ask after every serious incident: where were the cameras? Where were the teachers? Where were the wardens? Who was responsible for monitoring the situation?"

Security research and consulting firm Chasseur Group founder Munira Mustaffa also said CCTV cameras had limitations.

"CCTV cameras are not a deterrent. The footage is only useful as corroborating evidence that a crime has taken place, but it's not going to stop people from committing a crime."

With more than 10,000 schools nationwide, the new allocation covers less than 10 per cent of schools.

She said this raised questions about how schools would be prioritised for the installations and whether they had sufficient resources to monitor the footage.

"That's the problem because it's very resource-reliant and not all schools have that.

"Are we only going to prioritise the safety of those that can afford them?"

She said differences in monitoring capabilities between schools could also create gaps in the effectiveness of the system.

Munira pointed out that cameras had limitations in detecting non-physical forms of harm, including verbal bullying and sexual harassment, which could escalate into physical violence much later.

"So are we only looking to prevent physical acts, but what about the buildup? Things don't just happen in a vacuum," she added.