FOLLOWING the widespread impact of the bullying incident involving Zara Qairina, actress Liyana Jasmay, 37, says her daughter was now afraid to go to boarding school.
According to Liyana, as a mother of two daughters aged 11 and nine, she is also afraid after reading about the number of bullying cases reported in the country.
“I have a daughter who is growing up. Of course I am afraid. When my children read about Zara’s case, they fear going to boarding school. I personally went through a phase of being bullied when I was 13 years old. I was beaten. But I didn't stay silent.
"There were times when I would fight back to protect myself. I also told my sister what happened at school, and she confronted the bully," she said as reported by Kosmo!
The Papadom film actress added that it is important for peers to know what is happening to friends around them.
"If you see your friend being bullied, you have to help them. Don't just watch your friend being bullied and stay silent. That's not possible," she explained.
In view of that, Liyana also included the issue of cyberbullying and bullying peers at school in her latest work, titled Putri & Phrince.
Liyana said she likes to produce works related to teenagers because when she was growing up, there were quite a few scripts involving teenagers in Malaysia.
"I watch a lot of dramas or films about teenagers from the United States. Actually, these dramas about teenagers should be watched not only by teenagers but also by parents so they can understand what their children go through."
“Women can be a little dangerous because of their jealousy. Many people don’t believe them. When I say I want to make a movie about jealous teenage girls, people ask me ‘are girls jealous?’ They don’t realise it. But when something happens, people open their eyes. Because of jealousy and hurt feelings, all sorts of things can happen.
“That’s why from the past until now, the works I’ve produced have revolved around teenagers. I want to nurture teenagers now so that they can overcome feelings of hurt and jealousy among their peers,” she said. – August 21, 2025
