PETALING JAYA: Stakeholders are calling for a comprehensive nationwide study on bullying, warning that existing research is fragmented and inadequate to capture the true scale of the problem.
Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs manager Amalia Annuar said bullying in schools remained normalised, particularly in elite boarding institutions.
“What we lack in Malaysia is a comprehensive study on bullying. What we have are sporadic studies – by state, by district – perhaps due to the lack of openness from certain parties to allow research in schools and dormitories.
“Until we have that, we cannot truly understand the real trend,” she said during the “Hentikan Buli: Suara Rakyat, Tanggungjawab Kita” town hall session organised by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development yesterday.
Amalia, who entered a boarding school at 13, recalled being told by a school counsellor that bullying was “normal” and something to be endured.
She described practices such as greeting seniors in prescribed ways, washing their shoes, preparing their food, and allowing them to cut queues as routine.
Calling this attitude “disheartening,” Amalia urged Parliament to hold a dedicated town hall session with children themselves.
She also recommended amending anti-bullying guidelines to embed child protection principles, creating a child-friendly helpline and prioritising preventative measures over reactive responses.
Others called for more direct interventions, with Sekolah Agama Menengah Tanjung Karang deputy president Nur Hamzah Suratman suggesting that bullying be included in civic education classes and even Friday sermons.
He also advocated reinstating caning as a deterrent, displaying banners in schools with anti-bullying messages and allocating more funds for awareness campaigns.
Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail said children’s voices must be central to the discussion.
“We always talk about children, but they are not involved. Communities need more programmes not made for children, but by children,” she said, adding that Parliament must also strengthen systems to protect all parties, including children with disabilities.
Rodziah rejected the suggestion of reinstating caning, noting that international conventions and existing laws prohibit it.
Instead, she said Parliament must reinforce awareness that bullying is a criminal offence, and review hierarchical systems within schools that allow power to be misused.
Taman Medan assemblyman Dr Afif Bahardin proposed creating a “severity index” to measure the incidence of bullying in schools, similar to average grades, and to make the results public.
“If schools are labelled, principals, teachers and parent-teacher associations will automatically feel pressured to improve,” he said.
He also suggested compulsory anonymous reporting mechanisms, such as drop boxes or apps, to empower the victims to come forward.
Earlier, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul said bullying remained deeply entrenched in schools, universities and even families, warning that its greatest impact was often on mental health.
Recalling his own experiences from the 1970s and cases he witnessed abroad, he said some victims were left traumatised or even driven to suicide.
Johari stressed that the committee must ensure its findings are made public and debated.
Committee chairman Yeo Bee Yin said more grassroots voices would be gathered before long-term proposals are submitted to the government.
