Teacher caned

A Malaysian teacher has been caned by the school principal after being mistaken for a student.

The national news agency, Bernama, says the 28-year-old teacher was hit on her buttocks along with several students on Wednesday morning.

"I was ashamed because all the students in Form One saw the incident," Bernama quoted the teacher as saying.

The 53-year-old principal has apologised, saying she thought the teacher, who was dressed in loose-fitting clothes, was a student.

But the apology failed to soothe matters.

"Although she did not know me because she was transferred to the school two weeks ago, there was no reason not to ask me," the teacher said.

A Malaysian teachers' union wants the education ministry to take action.

"The union has always stressed that leadership in schools is very important," union official Loke Yim Pheng said.

"If true, the act of caning a teacher has gone too far."