BAGAN DATUK: Parent-Teacher associations are among parties to be engaged in the drafting of the Anti-Bullying Tribunal Bill, which has been given six months to be worked on and presented to the Cabinet, says Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
The Deputy Prime Minister said the Cabinet had proposed for wider engagements and to include fully residential schools, elite institutions as well as public and private institutions.
He said that Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, who will hold engagement sessions with stakeholders nationwide, has been given six months to prepare the Bill.
“The drafting of this Bill is important to prevent bullying from continuing,” he said at a press conference after launching the Motivasi Desa programme, Bernama reported.
Azalina was previously reported as saying that the government is studying the need to enact an Anti-Bullying Act, with emphasis on setting up a tribunal to hear cases involving students and children.
On another matter, Ahmad Zahid, who is Barisan Nasional chairman, said the coalition will send an official letter to MIC to seek an explanation on why a leader from the component party had attended an opposition party’s meeting.
He said MIC must respond to this as Bersatu is not part of the coalition.
“This has created a negative perception. There should be no representative from a Barisan component party at a meeting or gathering of any party outside the government, whether in a personal or official capacity,” he said.
MIC deputy Youth chief K. Kesavan was reported to have attended a Bersatu Armada meeting on Saturday.
“They invited us, so I am here,” he was quoted as saying.
Recently, MIC deputy president Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said the party would decide on its future direction after its annual general meeting in October.
