KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 13 — Former education minister Maszlee Malik has urged the Education Ministry (MOE) to adopt a five-point plan to combat bullying in schools, including the immediate introduction of a National Student Rights Charter to protect the dignity, safety, and rights of all students.
He said the charter should apply across public and private educational institutions and guarantee equal protection for all students, regardless of background.
Maszlee also called for a more precise legal definition of bullying, covering both physical and cyberbullying, to be included in the Education Act 1996, along with the establishment of oversight committees at both school and national levels comprising representatives from parents, non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and enforcement agencies.
Other measures proposed include nationwide prevention and intervention programmes, including counselling, empathy education and firm disciplinary action, as well as creating a national bullying database to better monitor and respond to reported cases.
Referring to the recent death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir in Papar, Sabah, he described it as a ‘wake-up call’ for the education system.
“Student safety is not a secondary issue; it is the highest responsibility of the Education Ministry,” Maszlee said in a Facebook post today.
He also cited international examples of anti-bullying efforts, including South Korea’s Student Rights Ordinance (2012), Finland’s KiVa Programme, Canada’s Safe Schools Act, and Japan’s mandatory reporting system.
“While no system is perfect, these countries have clear and holistic frameworks that Malaysia can adapt to suit local needs,” Maszlee said.
The former minister noted that the five proposals were originally part of the 2019 National Education Policy Review Committee recommendations for implementation in 2021, but the initiative was halted following the 2020 change in government.
He urged MOE to form an implementation task force within 90 days and table the Student Rights Charter in Parliament before the end of the year.
