M’sian Student Punished With 30 Squats After Failing to Pay 50 Sen Fine for Dirty Classroom

But one mother alleged that her child was told to do 30 ‘ketuk ketampi’ after failing to pay a 50 sen fine for a dirty classroom.

Sharing her story on Threads, the mother said her child came home with sore legs. When she asked what had happened, the child revealed that the disciplinary teacher had ordered him to do 30 ‘ketuk ketampi’ because his classroom was found to be the dirtiest.

According to the child, he was the only one made to do the 30 squats because he couldn’t pay the 50 sen penalty.

The mother further explained that her child didn’t bring any money to school, as he always brought food from home.

In a follow-up post, the child told her that everyone in the class had to do 10 ‘ketuk ketampi’ and pay a 50 sen fine as punishment for the dirty classroom. However, those who couldn’t pay had to do an extra 20 squats.

“So now I have to put 50 sen in his school bag,” the mother wrote sarcastically.

While some internet users agreed with using ‘ketuk ketampi’ as a form of discipline, many were disturbed by the idea of a teacher asking students for money.

“The penalty for a dirty classroom should be cleaning it. No recess, and students should work together to tidy up. If it takes a week of missed recess to turn things around, that’s worth it. ‘Ketuk ketampi’ just causes pain. The classroom stays dirty. And the money, does it even go to a class fund?”

Another user added, “Instead of teaching accountability and teamwork, the teacher prefers money? Sure, 50 sen isn’t much, but what if this mindset grows where students think everything can be solved with money?"

"They should’ve been made to clean the classroom daily. There are so many better approaches. And 30 squats? Done incorrectly, that can harm the knees. I want to say more, but I’m not a teacher… still…”