KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 4 — Malaysia has recorded a sharp rise in school bullying cases over the past four years, prompting renewed calls for legal reform and preventive measures.
According to CNA, the Ministry of Education reported 7,681 bullying cases in 2024, up from 6,528 in 2023, 3,887 in 2022, and just 326 in 2021.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in Parliament on August 27 that 5,689 of the cases involved secondary school students, while 1,992 involved primary school students.
“We have always taken this issue seriously, but even more so with the recent cases,” said Farhana, a discipline teacher in Johor Bahru who requested to be identified only by her first name.
She noted that more students are now reporting bullying to school counsellors.
Experts told CNA that bullying is increasingly affecting younger students, with contributing factors including social media exposure, environmental influences, and a “copycat” culture.
“This is worrying because that age is supposed to be a time for character and empathy development, but some are already being exposed to a toxic culture,” said Rizan Hassan of Belia Mahir, a youth empowerment initiative focused on education, training, and community engagement.
Unicef Malaysia’s child protection specialist Lee Lyn-Ni said laws alone are not enough to address bullying, and that restorative approaches are more effective than punitive ones.
“Because children are still developing, they may act impulsively or without fully realising the consequences,” she said.
“A balanced approach ensures that victims are protected while giving those who bully a chance to learn and change.”
The issue gained national attention following the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious after allegedly falling from her dormitory in Sabah on July 16 and died the next day.
Her death sparked widespread social media outrage under the hashtag #JusticeforZara and led to rallies demanding a transparent investigation.
In a separate case, a 10-year-old cancer patient in Johor was allegedly bullied twice this year and required hospitalisation, according to his mother’s social media posts.
Last week, a Form Three student in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, was critically injured after falling from his dormitory’s third floor, with police saying it was too early to confirm if bullying was involved.
The Ministry of Education launched an online portal in 2022 for students and parents to report bullying, which now includes an anonymous reporting feature.
The Adolescent Health Survey 2022 found that 8.6 per cent of secondary school students had experienced bullying, with mocking appearance, sexual jokes, and racial slurs among the most common forms.
Ruhaishah Zulkifli of Kryss Network, a Malaysian non-profit focused on freedom of expression and digital rights through a gender lens, said bullying often targets students based on race, socio-economic background, or perceived sexuality.
“The numbers are one thing, but even more worrying is the severity of the cases that we are seeing in Malaysia,” she said, as quoted by CNA.
Five teenage girls were charged last month with using abusive language against Zara, which allegedly caused her distress.
Cyberbullying has also emerged as a growing concern, with one in five adolescents admitting to harassing others online, according to the same health survey.
Ruhaishah said she is especially concerned about the use of artificial intelligence in bullying, citing a case in Johor where deepfake images of female students were reportedly produced and sold.
Mental health advocate Andrew Mohanraj said Malaysia should adopt a prevention-first approach, citing Japan’s Anti-Bullying Act and Finland’s emphasis on character education.
“Malaysia can adopt a combination of these approaches to suit our situation, needs and capacity,” he said.
The government has formed a special committee chaired by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reforms) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said to coordinate anti-bullying efforts and review a proposed Anti-Bullying Tribunal Bill.
Azalina’s office said the committee aims to strengthen legal protections while incorporating rehabilitation and child protection elements.
Ruhaishah and Rizan both stressed the need for a holistic approach, with Rizan calling for “zero tolerance” policies and early emotional education.
“Prevention, character education, and psychosocial support are equally important,” Rizan said. “The law provides enforcement, but education builds long-term change.”
Farhana said most cases she encounters are not severe, but warned that ignoring complaints can lead to escalation.
“Most of the cases we see aren’t as severe as what’s in the news, but we know that if you don’t take a complaint seriously, it can escalate into something much bigger,” she said.
