School Bullying Must Be Addressed Urgently : Yazid

4 September 2025

KENINGAU: The growing problem of bullying in schools must be taken seriously and tackled immediately before it develops into a dangerous culture among students, said former Headmaster of Sekolah Kebangsaan Pasir Puteh, Keningau, Yazid Mohd Hasnan Tawik @ Charles.

He said the government, particularly the Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE), should urgently formulate a comprehensive strategy to curb bullying, including strengthening legal provisions and school disciplinary regulations.

“The Education Act should be reviewed to classify bullying as a serious offence that warrants greater attention,” he said in a statement today.

According to him, teachers have been making efforts to deal with disciplinary issues in schools, but their heavy workload often limits the time available to monitor bullying. Therefore, he proposed the creation of dedicated posts in schools to manage disciplinary matters, filled by non-teaching staff.

“For boarding schools, the role of wardens should also be assigned to non-teachers so that educators can focus fully on teaching and learning,” he added.

Yazid, who is also Chairman of the Bingkor Community Welfare Association, stressed that efforts to curb bullying cannot rest solely on schools but must involve close cooperation with Parent-Teacher Associations (PTAs), security agencies and the local community.

He also recommended strengthening character education programmes, awareness campaigns, counselling sessions and peer-support initiatives so that students genuinely understand the harmful effects of bullying on both individuals and society.

Yazid said digital technology could also be harnessed to reinforce prevention mechanisms by establishing dedicated hotlines or mobile applications that enable students and parents to report bullying cases quickly and safely.

“These measures are essential to protect students’ wellbeing and safety, while ensuring schools remain safe, conducive and enjoyable places for learning,” he said.

He noted that statistics released by the MOE in 2023 recorded more than 3,000 reported cases of bullying in schools nationwide, covering physical, verbal and cyberbullying. Meanwhile, data from the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) also showed a rise in complaints relating to teenage bullying, indicating the issue is becoming increasingly serious and must be addressed without delay.