A TOTAL of 5,681 bullying cases were recorded by the Education Ministry from January to August this year, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said.
She said the figure was confirmed in the ministry’s database and attributed the reported increase in cases, among other factors, to greater awareness and more victims and witnesses coming forward to report incidents.
“The bullying cases recorded in the Education Ministry’s database for the first eight months, from January to August 2026, totalled 5,681.
“This is data that I have verified, so the honourable member can refer to it as confirmed data,” she said during the winding-up of the 2027 Budget debate for the ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Fadhlina said the ministry had allocated RM15 million next year to install closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in schools that needed them, particularly in high-risk areas such as blind spots, corridors, storerooms and around hostel blocks.
She stressed, however, that CCTV cameras would record incidents rather than prevent them from happening.
“I also want to stress that CCTV only records incidents. It does not prevent incidents; it merely records them,” she said, adding that the equipment remained a key demand among school communities and parents.
The ministry will also increase the number of assistant hostel wardens conducting targeted night patrols from 300 this year to 500 next year.
Fadhlina said efforts to address bullying required a comprehensive approach, including stronger discipline, character development among pupils and closer cooperation between parents and the wider community. - October 28, 2026
