PETALING JAYA: Swifter action, greater transparency and stronger preventive measures must take place concurrently now that the Anti-Bullying Tribunal is here, to ensure justice for victims of bullying, say stakeholders.
AntiBuli.my co-founder Dr Shamir Rajadurai said it is important for the tribunal not to make victims wait long for a response as it can have an impact on them.
“In terms of how the judgement should be met, this can be tricky as different people will have different views on this.
“Some might suggest it to be harsh, others might say they are children, so it should be light.
“Essentially, it goes back to what is the expertise of those sitting on the tribunal and how severe was the case. There is no one size fits all. But I also think transparency is important and it should be free from any outside interference,” said Shamir.
National Union of the Teaching Profession (NUTP) secretary-general Fouzi Singon said the tribunal is expected to provide a clearer complaint channel for victims and parents. It can also speed up investigations and action on serious bullying cases and increase school accountability in handling complaints, he said.
“We hope it can act as a preventive factor because perpetrators know that their actions can be punished more severely.
“In addition, the union believes that the Teacher Protection Act should also be formulated because ultimately, teachers are to blame when an incident occurs in or outside of school.
“This is because most bullying cases occur in the school environment and require immediate action, rather than awaiting for the tribunal process,” he said.
Additionally, Fouzi said that preventive measures through education, counselling and monitoring programmes must be included to curb bullying cases.
The tribunal was launched yesterday, which brings the Anti-Bullying Act 2026 into force.
On Dec 3, 2025, the Act aimed at addressing bullying cases for all victims was passed by Dewan Rakyat and gazetted on Jan 23.
Under the Act, the Education Ministry, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), the Defence Ministry, the Women, Family and Community Development Ministry, and the Home Ministry are empowered to manage and regulate bullying cases in educational institutions or other institutions under their respective responsibilities and jurisdictions.
