REPORTS of bullying in Malaysian schools have climbed sharply over the past three years, with nearly 70 percent of cases involving secondary school students, prompting urgent calls for educators to act decisively even in seemingly minor incidents.
Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail revealed that 7,681 bullying cases were logged in 2024 through the Ministry of Education’s Student Discipline System (SSDM), a steep rise from 6,528 cases in 2023 and 3,883 in 2022.
“Bullying is no longer an isolated problem. It has become a widespread concern that affects physical, mental, and emotional wellbeing, with long-term implications for victims, including trauma that can disrupt academic performance,” said Mohd Khalid at the launch of the Royal Malaysia Police’s (PDRM) national Anti-Bullying Campaign.
Since the implementation of the Penal Code (Amendment) 2025 and the Criminal Procedure Code (Amendment) 2025, police have recorded 129 cases of bullying, indicating the need for comprehensive enforcement.
Verbal taunts must be treated seriously, say officials
Highlighting the often-overlooked impact of verbal bullying, Mohd Harith Mohd Rahim@Mohd Noor, Assistant Director of the Student Character Development Unit at the Ministry of Education (KPM), said school administrators must stop dismissing verbal abuse as harmless jokes.
“Verbal taunts such as ‘your mother is green’ or ‘your mother is yellow’ may seem like a joke to some, but they can have deep emotional effects. We’ve had reports where a student contemplated jumping off a building after such remarks,” Harian Metro reported him saying during a public dialogue held in conjunction with the campaign launch.
He urged school leaders to investigate every complaint thoroughly and resolve reported cases within seven to eight working days as stipulated in ministry guidelines.
School heads told to treat all reports with urgency
“Even a simple verbal insult must be treated as a serious complaint. Principals and headteachers must not judge or dismiss student reports. Investigations must be honest, timely, and in accordance with the ministry’s protocols,” he added.
According to Mohd Harith, failure by school heads to act promptly can lead to students withdrawing their complaints out of frustration or fear.
“The frontliners of our education system – the teachers and administrators – must be committed to upholding ministry policies. If they refuse to act, how can we ever hope to address this issue?” he said.
Police to strengthen school partnerships through PPS
To enhance response and deterrence, PDRM has assigned School Liaison Officers (Pegawai Perhubungan Sekolah) to every school, allowing quicker intervention in the event of bullying or other misconduct.
Deputy Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Ayob Khan Mydin Pitchay and Director-General of Education Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad also attended the campaign launch.
Mohd Khalid urged parents to remain alert to changes in their children’s behaviour and report any signs of bullying to schools or via the Volunteer Smartphone Patrol (VSP) app.
He stressed that the campaign aims to create synergy between the police, the Ministry of Education, schools, and families.
“PDRM fully supports the government’s mission to eliminate bullying in schools and to ensure that learning environments remain safe, inclusive, and free from fear,” he said. - October 14, 2025
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