PUTRAJAYA: Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has warned principals, school heads, and school managements to not conceal incidents of bullying among students.
She said that the ministry takes all bullying cases seriously and complaints must be handled appropriately and in accordance with the guidelines established by the ministry.
“The Education Ministry urges victims or parents to file complaints directly through the Aduan Buli portal,” she said at a special press conference on the 2024 SPM examination operations here Thursday (Jan 2).
“If complaints are submitted directly through the portal, the procedure will be much clearer, as the complainant will be informed directly of the actions that the ministry has taken,” adding that schools must take action based on the provided guidelines while also forwarding the cases to the ministry for further investigation.
Additionally, she also said that parents are entitled to escalate bullying complaints to higher levels, including the authorities if they feel that their child has not received justice.
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Fadhlina said this when asked to comment about a recent report on “commando-style” bullying in a boarding school.
A news portal revealed allegations that senior students at a boarding school bullied juniors by imposing harsh penalties, including making them perform two-hour “commando rests” and forcing them to strip publicly.
She also said that after carrying out an investigation on the issue, the incident occurred in a school that was not under the ministry’s purview.
“However, we also want the community to take bullying seriously and promptly report complaints to the Education Ministry to ensure appropriate action is taken,” she said.
