The Negeri Sembilan Health Department defends the controversial survey carried out in Nilai.
SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan Health Department today defended the controversial survey conducted among school children in Nilai last month, saying its objective was to prevent heath and social problems among youths.
The department’s director, Dr Zailan Adnan, said the explicit questions on sexual behaviour formed only a part of the questionnaire.
She also said the Health Ministry had been conducting the survey throughout the country for the past three years.
Last Thursday, state assemblymen J Arulkumar of Nilai and P Gunasekaran of Senawang lodged a report with the state education department on behalf of a parent who had found out that his 10-year-old child was involved in the survey at Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Jamin in Nilai.
The survey was also conducted at two other schools in Nilai.
Page Three of the five-page questionnaire contained the following questions:
Question 2: I have done the following (Yes or No)
a) Read/watched pornography
b) Masturbated (Caused myself to be sexually aroused)
Question 4: I have (Yes or No)
a) Sexual desire for people of my own gender
b) A desire to change my gender
Question 5: I have experienced sexual intercourse (If Yes, answer Question 6)
Question 6: I have
a) Changed partners
b) Had sexual intercourse with someone of my own gender
c) Engaged in unnatural sex
d) I/my partner use condoms during sexual intercourse
e) I/my partner practise birth control (with family planning pills, etc)
Profiling the students
The students were not supposed to take the questionnaire home, Dr Zailan told FMT.
She said the questions were prepared by specialists in various fields.
“From the answers given, we can detect if any of the students have health or social problems. Then we take that particular problematic student’s survey form and refer the registration number with a master list that contains the student’s name.
“Then we will take action and help the problematic students by referring them either to a counseling, obstetrics or gynaecology specialist.”
She said her department had its own method of informing the respective parents about the problem cases.
“The health survey questions are not weird because they have been used all over the country for the past three years by the Health Ministry,” she added.
“I would like to stress that the questionnaire is only for youths from the age of 10 to 19 years.
“Students in Standard Four, Five and Six are entitled to answer the questions with the condition they must be guided by a medical or health officer on duty.”
She said the completed survey forms were supposed to be given back immediately to the officer on duty.
“Probably one of the students didn’t answer the questions in the survey form and instead brought it home.
“However I’ve already reminded the respective officers, and an investigation is ongoing.”
She also said she would take the matter to a “higher level” and seek a review of the questionnaire.
“Another thing I would like to stress is this survey is not solely on sex; there are also questions on health, smoking, food and other matters related to health.”
SEREMBAN: The Negeri Sembilan Health Department today defended the controversial survey conducted among school children in Nilai last month, saying its objective was to prevent heath and social problems among youths.The department’s director, Dr Zailan Adnan, said the explicit questions on sexual behaviour formed only a part of the questionnaire.
She also said the Health Ministry had been conducting the survey throughout the country for the past three years.
Last Thursday, state assemblymen J Arulkumar of Nilai and P Gunasekaran of Senawang lodged a report with the state education department on behalf of a parent who had found out that his 10-year-old child was involved in the survey at Sekolah Kebangsaan Desa Jamin in Nilai.
The survey was also conducted at two other schools in Nilai.
Page Three of the five-page questionnaire contained the following questions:
Question 2: I have done the following (Yes or No)
a) Read/watched pornography
b) Masturbated (Caused myself to be sexually aroused)
Question 4: I have (Yes or No)
a) Sexual desire for people of my own gender
b) A desire to change my gender
Question 5: I have experienced sexual intercourse (If Yes, answer Question 6)
Question 6: I have
a) Changed partners
b) Had sexual intercourse with someone of my own gender
c) Engaged in unnatural sex
d) I/my partner use condoms during sexual intercourse
e) I/my partner practise birth control (with family planning pills, etc)
Profiling the students
The students were not supposed to take the questionnaire home, Dr Zailan told FMT.
She said the questions were prepared by specialists in various fields.
“From the answers given, we can detect if any of the students have health or social problems. Then we take that particular problematic student’s survey form and refer the registration number with a master list that contains the student’s name.
“Then we will take action and help the problematic students by referring them either to a counseling, obstetrics or gynaecology specialist.”
She said her department had its own method of informing the respective parents about the problem cases.
“The health survey questions are not weird because they have been used all over the country for the past three years by the Health Ministry,” she added.
“I would like to stress that the questionnaire is only for youths from the age of 10 to 19 years.
“Students in Standard Four, Five and Six are entitled to answer the questions with the condition they must be guided by a medical or health officer on duty.”
She said the completed survey forms were supposed to be given back immediately to the officer on duty.
“Probably one of the students didn’t answer the questions in the survey form and instead brought it home.
“However I’ve already reminded the respective officers, and an investigation is ongoing.”
She also said she would take the matter to a “higher level” and seek a review of the questionnaire.
“Another thing I would like to stress is this survey is not solely on sex; there are also questions on health, smoking, food and other matters related to health.”
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