Anwar Ibrahim's trial a lesson in sex education
KUALA LUMPUR (AP): With X-rated testimony on the front pages almost daily, the steamy trial of Anwar Ibrahim is the perfect opportunity to teach kids about sex.
Educators and psychologists polled in The Sun newspaper say the sex and corruption trial of the ousted deputy prime minister should be tapped for its educational value.
Malaysia -- a conservative, predominantly Muslim country where adultery and sodomy are illegal -- is still debating the issue of sex education in schools. Meanwhile, parents are getting bombarded with questions about news reports detailing Anwar's court drama with headlines like: "Anwar Sodomized Me," and "I was a Sex Slave."
"Previously, topics like these were often taboo," Seleena Yahaya Isa, head of student services at Disted-Stamford College, told The Sun for Monday editions.
"Now it's such an open subject and words such as sodomy and oral sex are part of the lingo. Parents and children are now aware that things like that exist and can discuss them openly," she said.
Anwar is on trial for allegedly abusing his power to cover up illegal sex acts, including sex with men. Anwar denies the charges, saying they were politically motivated.
He was fired by Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad, his one-time mentor who deemed him morally unfit to lead.
A cartoon in The Sun shows a tearful mother with her wide-eyed children in front of a TV news show, surrounded by dictionaries.
"I've got problems explaining sodomy to our kids!" the mother wails to her husband, just home from work.
Educator Jagjeet Singh advises parents to spend time reading the newspapers with their youngsters so questions are properly answered.
"If parents and teachers are not there to guide, children may turn to their peers and be led astray," said Singh.
Prosecution attorneys have brought DNA experts to court in an effort to prove Anwar's alleged sexual trysts. One expert testified that semen stains found on a mattress in an apartment where Anwar allegedly carried out his sexual trysts matched Anwar's DNA.
Former University of Malaya vice-chancellor Azziz Abdul Hamid suggests that parents treat the trial like a biology lesson, using encyclopedias to explain chromosomes and DNA.
"Meanwhile, teachers could approach the subject scientifically and objectively, such as using examples from the trial to show how a chemist can identify a person's DNA from their hair sample, thus making the lessons more lively and interesting," he said.
Not all parents are convinced.
Ruhana Abdul, a mother of two, said her daughters don't ask about the trial's lurid details, she doesn't tell -- and what they don't know won't hurt them.
"They are only 5 and 7 years old and what they know is that Anwar's case is being debated in court right now," the mother said.