Steps To Address School Bullying Are Continuous, Not Reactive – Kah Woh
KUALA LUMPUR: Every action taken to address the issue of bullying in schools is not reactive in nature, but rather continuous, to ensure that the goal of a safe school environment can be achieved.
This was stated by Deputy Education Minister, Wong Kah Woh, taking into account the character of today’s school students, which is very different compared to the era before the existence of social media.
Therefore, he said that the Special Committee on Education Institution Safety Reform, which comprises representatives from the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) and the National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP), has also been established for the same purpose.
“This committee not only encompasses colleagues at the ministry level but also involves a combination of academic experts, government agencies, and non-governmental organisations.
“We all provide views and input together to improve the current situation in order to prevent undesirable incidents from recurring,” he said.
He said this when winding up the debate on the Annual Report and Financial Statements of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) 2024 (Statutory Paper 102 of 2026) for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Meanwhile, Kah Woh said that the implementation of mental health screening is being continued alongside other efforts in an attempt to create a safe school environment for the entire ecosystem of the facility.
He said that the implementation of the Character Ambassador and Peer Counsellor programmes has also been intensified for the same purpose.
All of this, he said, is to ensure that all parties, including peers, are mobilised to help students and their friends create a safe environment at school.
“This reporting initiative and action to address student discipline issues remain a priority for the ministry, and it is further strengthened through efforts such as the MADANI Generation character development programme.
“This is to strengthen and build students’ character holistically to ensure and balance the intellectual, moral, and spiritual dimensions.
“We also take note of incidents that have occurred recently, from 2025 to this year, and the ministry has indeed strengthened existing mechanisms,” he said.
Berita Harian