A special retreat will be held to coordinate procedures among government agencies on handling bullying cases, says government spokesman Fahmi Fadzil.
He said the retreat will bring together several ministries and agencies, including the education and defence ministries, the rural and regional development ministry via Mara Junior Science College, the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission, and the police.
Fahmi said that each agency had its own procedures on bullying cases. However, in terms of prosecution and safety, many parties are involved, so a retreat will be held soon, he said.
He said recent amendments to the Penal Code have made bullying a criminal offence. “The SOPs and several related matters need to be understood by all institutions,” he said at the weekly post-Cabinet media briefing in Putrajaya today, Bernama reported.
Fahmi also said a proposal was tabled at the Cabinet meeting for the establishment of a tribunal to handle bullying cases involving children.
Bullying and harassment, particularly in schools and on online platforms, have been making headlines recently.
Last year, a 29-year-old social media influencer known as “Eesha” died after enduring severe and coordinated cyber harassment, mostly on TikTok.
Earlier this week, five teenagers were charged in Kota Kinabalu with verbally abusing 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir who died last month. Zara died in hospital on July 17, a day after she allegedly fell from the third floor of her school’s hostel in Papar, Sabah.
