PETALING JAYA, Feb 15 — A volunteer scoutmaster was today accused by parents of molesting at least 10 girls under his charge at a co-ed secondary school here.

Several girl scouts from a Petaling Jaya secondary school have alleged that the 44-year-old scoutmaster they call “Abang Ho” touched them inappropriately on several occasions after May last year both at school and at his home.

The students are now in Form Two.

An account of the incident, as recorded in a police statement, read: “When he was taking measurements for my uniform, he groped me all over. He also pulled my pants toward him and tried to grab my private part.

“When it happened, I was terrified, I froze and didn’t know what to do.”

The alleged victims’ parents are asking other students to come forward after five of them lodged a joint police report on February 8.

“We need to find out how many other victims there are,” said one parent, a man who asked to be identified only as Leong.

He told reporters he is trying to gather more information before he lodges another police report.

“Our daughters were told that the touching was normal. He (the scoutmaster) told them that if models can even strip in front of others, they shouldn’t feel shy,” Leong said.

The parent said there were over 300 scouts of both genders at the school and that last year, there were 28 girl scouts in Form One.

One of the mothers also said a senior girl scout had advised the girls involved to not report the incidents, as she was afraid of losing her position as a committee member.

Leong said the parents are worried that “Abang Ho” may have taken inappropriate pictures and videos as well.

The parent said “Abang Ho” stopped volunteering at the school late last year.

Contacted by The Malaysian Insider later, the school’s Parent-Teacher Association (PTA) president, who did not want to be named, said that one of the school’s teachers, who is now a qualified scoutmaster, has taken charge of the club and that there is no further need for volunteers who are drawn from beyond the school.

The PTA president said he was also speaking on behalf of the school head, who is not allowed to engage the media under an Education Ministry directive.

Parents told reporters that “Abang Ho” also has two daughters at the same school.

Six students are undergoing counselling with the school’s counsellor. It is understood that they have been asked to put down in writing their allegations of inappropriate encounters with the scoutmaster.

“Some of the girls are not coming out because they don’t want to hurt his (“Abang Ho”) daughters’ feelings,” one of the victims’ mother said.

“It is normal for the children to be afraid to tell us, parents. They are afraid we might scold them, or stop them from doing the activity. They think it’s okay as long as they are not physically hurt,” a 49-year-old father of one of the girls involved said.

The parents said before lodging the police report last week, they had met the volunteer scoutmaster for an explanation. He had told them that the touching was accidental.

They also told reporters that besides the measurement incident, the scoutmaster had also invited some of the students to his house to practise rock climbing. The girls have alleged that he touched them inappropriately when they were trying out the equipment.

After practice, the parents said the girls were asked to enter a room, one by one, where it has been alleged “Abang Ho” pulled their pants down and pulled up their tops to “feel for injuries”.

The Scouts Association of Petaling District denied today that the association had sent the scoutmaster in question to volunteer at the school.

“In this case, the accused is not from our association. He is a parent and probably got his certificate on his own,” District Scout Commissioner for the Rover Scouts division Ghasid Salleh told The Malaysian Insider over the phone.

He explained that when a school does not have a certified scoutmaster, it usually will contact the association for a volunteer.

According to Ghasid’s assistant, there are about 40 people who have completed the “Manikayu” (Scoutmaster) course including teachers. There are a total of 209 troops in primary and secondary schools here in PJ.

He said the alleged victims’ school is registered under the district.

The PTA president stressed that there is no attempt to cover up the case.

“There is no cover up. We are hoping the police will investigate this case and charge this person if it is proven.

“We hope they will get to the bottom of this and if he is guilty, charge him and we will get this paedophile out of the system,” he said.

He stressed that the case has to be handled carefully as it involves underage girls.

“We must also be fair because he has two children studying here,” he said.

He pointed out that the school called the police on February 8, when an altercation broke out when the parents met with the scoutmaster. The police had asked both parties to lodge a police report at the time, he said.

“You must tread carefully because these are all allegations and the police are investigating,” the fifth-term president said.

Anyone with information regarding the case can call Mr Leong at 012-6183234.