KUALA LUMPUR: Former military personnel are set to be appointed full-time wardens in all 58 Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM) nationwide beginning Jan 1 next year, says Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.
The Mara chairman said 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 this month.
“The move is aimed at strengthening student discipline and maintaining a safe boarding school environment,” he said in a Facebook post yesterday.
He said the decision followed the success of a pilot project involving former military personnel serving as full-time wardens at MRSMs in Besut, Terengganu, and Balik Pulau, Penang.
“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 said.
Asyraf Wajdi 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.
On Tuesday, the government launched the Anti-Bullying Tribunal.
It wants schoolchildren to make use of the newly launched online complaints portal as part of efforts to ensure victims have direct access to justice when bullying cases are not adequately resolved.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said stressed that raising awareness among students about their rights and the tribunal’s online registration platform would be a key priority moving forward.
“Having the law is one factor, but implementation and application of the law are even more important.
“More importantly, we want to create awareness among schoolchildren so that they understand their rights,” she added.
