PETALING JAYA: A peaceful assembly was held outside Parliament building this morning, bringing together Members of Parliament (MPs) across both sides of the divide, activists, university students, NGOs, parents and concerned members of the public to demand justice for Zara Qairana.
The assembly, which was broadcast via KiniTV, featured approximately 150 participants holding placards and delivering impassioned speeches urging authorities to take stronger action against bullying and abuse.
A memorandum was also submitted to Parliament, in which criticised the lack of urgency in addressing Zara’s case.
One of the participants remarked, “If it weren’t for the voices of netizens, they wouldn’t have even cared about this issue.”
Other participants who spoke during the stressed that Zara’s case was not an isolated incident, citing previous abuse cases, including one involving a male victim.
They also pointed to worrying statistics, claiming that more than 11,000 bullying cases have been reported nationwide.
A representative from NGO Empati said many victims suffer lasting emotional scars and a deep loss of self-worth.
“How many more hearts and spirits must we sacrifice? Our children’s will to learn is being crushed by a culture of bullying that has never been truly reformed,” the spokesperson said, lamenting that the problem remains widespread and unresolved despite years of debate.
The rally’s organisers urged for comprehensive reforms, stronger protections for victims and harsher penalties for perpetrators, stressing that the issue must be treated as a priority in both houses in Parliament.