PETALING JAYA: The government is stepping up efforts to combat bullying with plans to strengthen existing laws, introduce an Anti-Bullying Tribunal and push for a whole-of-government approach that goes beyond punishment to focus on protection and rehabilitation.
A high-level meeting on strengthening anti-bullying prevention mechanisms was held today, organised by the Legal Affairs Division of the Prime Minister’s Department (BHEUU) and chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) in Kuala Lumpur.
The meeting brought together senior officials from more than 10 ministries and agencies, including the Education Ministry, Health Ministry, Home Ministry and the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam).
It followed a Cabinet decision on Aug 29, where the government agreed to adopt a holistic and integrated approach in tackling bullying nationwide. Azalina has been tasked with leading a Special Committee on Bullying Issues, the central platform to coordinate inter-ministry and inter-agency action.
Among the proposals discussed were:
* Strengthening the legal framework with provisions to protect children and support victims, not just penalise offenders.
* Drafting an Anti-Bullying Tribunal Bill to establish a semi-judicial body for handling bullying cases, especially those involving students and minors.
* Introducing rehabilitation-focused measures for perpetrators who are children or teenagers, in line with the Child Act 2001.
* Implementing nationwide prevention efforts across schools, universities, workplaces, communities and online platforms.
“Bullying has become a pressing national challenge with serious consequences for victims and society at large. Today’s session marks a crucial first step towards developing concrete and practical action plans to ensure Malaysia has a strong, fair and effective anti-bullying prevention system,” the statement said.
BHEUU added that it is committed to ensuring every proposal is translated into realistic, inclusive and forward-looking action. With close collaboration between ministries, agencies and stakeholders, it expressed confidence that Malaysia can build a safer and more harmonious environment free from bullying, in line with the aspirations of Malaysia MADANI.