The government will review the need to enact an Anti-Bullying Act that emphasises the establishment of a tribunal to hear bullying cases involving students and children, law and institutional reform minister Azalina Othman Said said today.
She said there was presently no specific definition or clear punishment for the offence of bullying under any legal provision.
“The word ‘bullying’ is not specified in the Penal Code, but to be fair, I am quite relieved that we amended and introduced Sections 507B to 507G of the Penal Code.
“We are also fortunate to have amended the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) Act, which enabled the appointment of a children’s commissioner in Sabah and Sarawak.
“The move was timely, but to be fair to the education ministry, it already has its own guidelines,” she said at a press conference here.
Azalina said Suhakam had voiced concerns that the Child Act 2001 would still apply if both the perpetrator and the victim were children.
“This is a matter for the Cabinet to discuss, whether there should be another process when it involves children, such as setting up a tribunal system, or a different set of laws should be considered to allow rehabilitation to be used as a form of punishment,” she said.
