KUALA LUMPUR: Full-time wardens from among former military personnel will be appointed at all 58 Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM) nationwide beginning Jan 1 next year, says Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
The Mara chairman said it is a move aimed at strengthening student discipline and maintaining a safe boarding school environment.
"The initiative would be introduced in phases, with 10 MRSMs set to implement the programme from July 1 this year following a selection and screening process throughout June," he said in a Facebook post on Friday (June 19).
He said the decision followed the success of a pilot project involving former military personnel serving as full-time wardens at MRSMs in Besut and Balik Pulau.
"A study conducted by Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) found that the pilot project significantly improved student discipline and achieved zero bullying cases at both institutions," he added.
Asyraf said the nationwide implementation reflects Mara's commitment to ensuring a conducive, disciplined and secure learning environment for students residing in its boarding schools.
He expressed confidence that the initiative would further enhance the overall excellence of MRSMs while producing well-rounded students who excel academically, possess strong character and demonstrate balanced personal development.
"The appointment of former military personnel as full-time wardens is also expected to strengthen mentoring, supervision and character-building programmes for students across the MRSM network," he said.
In August last year, Asyraf Wajdi announced that Mara had launched a pilot project appointing two Armed Forces veterans as wardens at two MRSMs for six months.
He said the initiative, aimed at tackling bullying cases and easing teachers' burden, would be expanded nationwide if its implementation evaluation showed positive results.
