Government officials are making efforts to coordinate their actions to enforce amendments to the Penal Code to ensure that all parties understand that bullying is a crime, communications minister Fahmi Fadzil said today.
He said the matter was among the issues discussed at today’s Cabinet meeting, chaired by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim, in the light of recent bullying incidents, including the tragic death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
“The prime minister made it clear that the government will not tolerate bullying in any form or allow such cases to continue without accountability,” said Fahmi.
He said that Cabinet ministers have begun aligning actions across ministries, particularly those managing educational institutions and student dormitories, to ensure the proper implementation of the newly amended provisions, which came into force in July.
“We want every ministry to fully understand that under these amendments, bullying is clearly defined and legally recognised as a criminal act. Further enforcement steps will follow,” he told reporters after attending a civil service gathering of more than 30,000 civil servants in person and by virtual attendance.
The amendments to the Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code make bullying a criminal offence, with penalties of up to 10 years’ jail.
The offences covered include harassment, threats, bullying, insults and misuse of identity information, with heavier penalties if such actions lead to suicide attempts or suicide caused by provocation.
Talent policy for civil servants
At the gathering, Anwar launched a talent development policy for the civil service. The public services department said the policy focuses on merit-based performance evaluation, continuous skill enhancement, fostering a high-performance and integrity-driven work culture, providing clear career pathways for leadership development, and ensuring the public sector remains credible.
The policy is designed to ensure the public sector remains relevant, responsive, and capable of advancing the nation’s reform agenda, a department statement said.
