KOTA TINGGI: Malaysia has made history by becoming the first nation in the world to establish an anti-bullying tribunal, a dedicated and effective mechanism to tackle bullying head-on.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said (pic) said the creation of the tribunal reflects the government’s resolve to ensure that bullying never takes root as a cultural norm in society.
“No other country has such a tribunal. There are sexual harassment tribunals, but an anti-bullying tribunal has never been established before.
“The Madani government is aware that we cannot allow a culture of bullying to spread unchecked.
“That is why we are introducing this tribunal as a fitting approach to handle cases involving children and teenagers,” she told Bernama after the Johor Anti-Bullying Literacy Programme here yesterday.
Azalina, who is the Pengerang MP, said the quasi-judicial body is designed to overcome systemic bottlenecks in handling civil bullying cases through the courts, where some cases can drag on for nine years.
She said the Anti-Bullying Act 2026 (Act 876) is rooted in a restorative approach that not only protects and helps victims heal, but also takes into account the circumstances surrounding perpetrators, who may themselves be struggling with difficult environments.
The Anti-Bullying Act 2026 and the Anti-Bullying Tribunal officially came into effect on June 1 6, and currently apply to individuals aged 18 and below, she added.
