PUTRAJAYA: Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim has called for an uncompromising war against bullying in the education system, saying it must be treated with the same seriousness as the fight against corruption and drug abuse.
Anwar said there must be zero tolerance for bullying, even if it involves only a small group, adding that educators sometimes take such cases too lightly.
“We must have the same resolve as when we wage war against corruption and drugs.
“We must also wage war against the evil practice of bullying, which destroys the identity and culture of schools themselves,” he said at the launch of the National Education Plan 2026–2035 on Tuesday (Jan 20).
He stressed that all forms of negligence and destructive behaviour must be eradicated, as the education system was meant to nurture human beings, not merely produce academic outcomes.
Anwar said human values and dignity were therefore fundamental to the national education system, and called for a collective effort involving students, teachers, lecturers and education leaders.
He added that education must go beyond technical competence to shape character, identity and humanity, warning that failure to address bullying decisively would erode the very foundation of the education system.
