SHAH ALAM, Aug 15 — Lawmakers are calling for bullying in educational institutions to be treated more seriously, with stronger preventive measures, harsher penalties, and greater transparency in case handling.
This comes in the wake of the recent spate of bullying cases, including 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who died on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school’s dormitory at 4am in Papar, Sabah.
Klang MP Ganabatirau Veraman said bullying in learning institutions should be classified and dealt with as a criminal offence, as many such cases go beyond harmless pranks.
"It is time we treat bullying as a crime. In the past, we saw it as mere play among children, but now it has claimed lives and caused serious injuries," he told Media Selangor at the Parliament yesterday.
In Malaysia, bullying is not statutorily defined, as there are no specific anti-bullying laws. However, the act of causing hurt or death through bullying can be prosecuted under the Penal Code.
With recent incidents involving victims from primary schools to universities, as well as among uniformed trainees, Ganabatirau said it is high time the government review existing punishments, calling for stricter discipline in schools and heavier penalties, including fines, summoning parents, and referring serious cases to the police.
He also warned against attempts to conceal cases, especially in universities, and urged all higher learning institutions to set up a dedicated anti-bullying unit and make policies transparent.
"First, there must be no more secrecy. Keeping cases under wraps only gives bullies more room to act. Students should be made aware from the start of the punishments they face," Ganabatirau said.
At the same time, he also expressed support for the government’s tough stand on cyberbullying and urged the same move against physical bullying in schools and universities.
Anonymous reporting to curb bullying
During the Dewan Rakyat session on Tuesday (August 12), Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Zambry Abdul Kadir revealed that only 31 physical and online bullying cases were recorded across eight public institutions of higher learning (IPTAs) over the past 11 years, raising concerns about underreporting.
On his part, Shah Alam MP Azli Yusof said higher learning institutions should adopt an anonymous reporting system similar to the Education Ministry's (MOE) Sistem Sahsiah Diri Murid (SSDM) to encourage victims to come forward without fear.
According to the MOE’s SSDM statistics, reported school bullying cases rose from 3,887 in 2022 to 4,994 cases in the first 10 months of 2023.
He noted that this indicated students are more willing to come forward and report if their identities are protected.
"At the university level, there must be a system where people can report without anyone knowing who they are. Victims must be protected," Azli said, emphasising that enforcement should be firm and without compromise, especially in cases involving physical violence.
He added that disciplinary measures could include suspension until investigations are done. However, bullying could also include physical and online harassment, which can be prosecuted under other laws.
Azli also called for stronger support systems in hostels, including the presence of full-time wardens, as incidents often occur in the absence of part-time wardens. In response to bullying, he advocated for the integration of character-building elements into school and university curricula to tackle the phenomenon’s root causes.
Bullying a social disease
Pasir Gudang MP Hassan Karim said that addressing bullying, which he described as a "social disease" affecting individuals from educational institutions to the workplace, requires a collective effort.
"This is everyone's responsibility: parents, schools, and universities. Do not point fingers, but solve the problem,” he said, adding that victims and their families must be protected when coming forward.
Hassan noted that many cases go unreported or are quietly closed, despite some escalating to dangerous levels.
A lawyer by profession, he cautioned against relying solely on legal measures to handle bullying, as preventive measures through family, community, and education are more effective, except in fatal cases where legal action is unavoidable.
Hassan also supported strict disciplinary action against offenders, especially in elite schools and universities, to maintain their standards. This is because more parents are now hesitant about sending their children to boarding schools or hostels for fear of bullying.
"We send them to higher learning institutions to gain knowledge and build their future, not to be harmed," he said.
