KUALA LUMPUR, Aug. 12 -- Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has warned that teachers caught smoking cigarettes or using electronic cigarettes (vapes) on school grounds face fines of up to RM10,000 or a maximum two-year jail term.

She said the Ministry of Education (MOE) will not tolerate such behaviour, especially when done in public or in front of students, as it breaches the Malaysian Teacher Standard (SGM).

"This act not only tarnishes the image of the teaching profession, but also sets a negative example for students. The MOE takes this matter seriously and will act firmly," she said in a written reply published on Parliament's official website yesterday.

She was responding to Nurul Amin Hamid (PN-Padang Terap), who had asked about ...