PETALING JAYA, Malaysia - The van driver remanded for the alleged rape of a 10-year-old pupil has been uncooperative with the police, who are now seeking more clues in the victim's school.

Sources revealed that the suspect had been unhelpful during questioning and that police were hopeful for more witnesses to come forward to assist in investigations.

"The police are expected to speak to teachers and children from the school to try and determine if other students were raped or molested but chose to keep it quiet," one source said.

The 51-year-old man was brought to a magistrate's court here yesterday. The remand order on him has been extended until Wednesday to allow police to investigate if the suspect was involved in two other cases involving an 11-year-old girl and the suspect's own adopted daughter, aged nine.

OCPD Asst Comm Arjunaidi Mohamed said police were still waiting for the results of the medical examination on the three girls to determine if they had been raped or molested.

It is learnt that the van did not have any logo or the words "Bas Sekolah" on it. Apparently, it was just a plain white van.

ACP Arjunaidi said police were investigating whether the suspect was the owner of the van.

Police do not rule out the possibility the suspect could have led his victims to another location before committing the despicable crime.

ACP Arjunaidi said police had recorded several statements from witnesses and expected more to come forward soon.

On Monday, the man, who is married with three children aged between nine and 20, was nabbed after he parked his van near a kindergarten in Jalan Othman at 12.40pm and forced himself on the girl.

A kindergarten teacher heard the girl's screams and went to her rescue. With the help of passers-by, they grabbed the man and bashed him up.

Women, Family and Community Development Minister Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil said a policy was needed to ensure those ferrying schoolchildren in vans and buses are accompanied by either a conductor or a co-driver.

The Transport Ministry should come out with the policy, she said, adding that it would be better if the conductor or co-driver was a woman.

"We cannot leave our children in places that invite danger," she told a press conference after launching the FemmeCity exhibition and fair at the KL Convention Centre.

Shahrizat said she had also requested Attorney-General Tan Sri Abdul Gani Patail to speed up investigations into the alleged rape.

"This is to ensure justice for the girl," she said.

Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said constant reminders at school assemblies and encouraging pupils to speak up could help to prevent assaults against schoolchildren.

"School authorities must continue to remind their pupils to be cautious and not be in secluded areas with someone they were not familiar with.

"They must remind pupils to tell their teachers or family members if they feel uncomfortable with someone," he said.

Dr Wee said school authorities should advise pupils to inform their teachers if they knew of things that happened to their friends as youngsters usually shared secrets among themselves.

Expressing his sadness over the Jalan Othman incident, Dr Wee said school authorities should play a more proactive role by checking on bus drivers.

"If the drivers do not look familiar or if the teachers are suspicious about anything, they must not hesitate to check on the person."