Police arrested four teachers in separate raids in Penang and Parit Buntar, Perak, today in connection with the leaks in the Science and English papers in this year's Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) examination.  
    
Kuala Lumpur CID chief SAC Gan Kong Meng said the four, one of whom was a woman, were arrested in a special operation that began at 3.30pm yesterday.
    
"The suspects' ages are between 30 and 54 years. Three were arrested in Penang and the other in Perak. Police also seized communication gadgets in the operation to assist investigations," he said in a statement here today.

Two of the four teachers detained today in connection with the leak in Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) examination papers will be remanded if the investigation papers cannot be completed within 24 hours.
 
When contacted later, Gan said two other teachers were released on police bail after their statements were recorded.
 
"Of the four arrested, two are still being detained for further investigations and if this cannot be finalised in the next 24 hours, they will be remanded in Putrajaya, tomorrow.
 
"Meanwhile two more have been released on police bail after their statements were recorded," he said.

Gan added that police had recorded statements from 10 individuals concerning the leaks, six officers from the Examinations Syndicate, three teachers and a journalist.
 
Following the leaks in the Science  018, 028 and 038 and English 014/1 and 014/2 papers on Thursday, almost half a million UPSR students now have to re-sit the papers on Sept 30.
    
The fiasco sparked outrage among parents and students.
    
Deputy Prime Minister Muhyiddin Yassin, who is also education minister, on Friday announced that the Examinations Syndicate director Na'imah Ishak and its deputy director of operations Wan Ilias Wan Salleh had been suspended with immediate effect pending investigations into the fiasco.

Special meeting on SOP tomorrow

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin will be chairing a special meeting tomorrow to scrutinise the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) used for preparing the papers of the Primary School Achievement Test (UPSR) examination.
    
He said the meeting, which would be held in Putrajaya, would also be attended by the stakeholders involved including the top management of the ministry to ensure leaks of the examination papers would not be repeated.
    
"The meeting will also focus on preparations for the resitting of  the leaked Science and English papers on Sept 30.
    
"Normally, preparations for examinations will be handed to the (Malaysian) Examinations Syndicate (LPM) but I also must know how the process is implemented," he said.
       
Muhyiddin said the meeting would also touch on security of the examination papers and measures taken by other parties, who were also taking part to help the ministry in the case (of the leaked papers), including the police and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission(SKMM).

He said the question of security in the SOPs, from preparing the examination papers until the process of bringing them to school must be tightened and complied with, and the officer entrusted with this responsibility must uphold the trust given.

"What is important is the appointed officer is trustworthy, unfortunately there were cases of leaks happening, we cannot take lightly when it happens, must tighten the existing rules," he said.  
    
Muhyiddin also reiterated his call that parents and teachers must play an important role in calming the emotions of their children so they would not be stressed when resitting the examination at the end of the month.

- Bernama