BUKIT MERTAJAM: There is no space for bullying in schools said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Anwar said there is no place in schools for students who bully others simply because they feel they are stronger.
“Those who are good at bullying others – why?
"If you are a Form Six student, that does not mean you can be arrogant. Imagine someone like this becoming a leader and destroying our country.
“That is why I am very firm that there is no place in our schools for us to entertain arrogant people who bully others,” he said during his speech at the meet-and-greet session held at the Teacher Education Institute (IPG) Tuanku Bainun campus in Bukit Mertajam on Friday (Aug 28).
Anwar said bullies often picked on others because they felt they were stronger but failed to realise that there will always be others who are stronger than them.
"They do not know that there are people stronger than them, by the dozens.
"I am aware of students with such behaviour and I stress that bullying should not be tolerated.
"I want to remind the children, teachers and lecturers that if we start tolerating this, our country and its future will not be guaranteed,” he said.
Anwar said the country needed to build a society based on good manners, values, knowledge and moral character.
He said the reports of bullying involving a small number of students should not overshadow the majority who behave well.
“Sometimes we read about this – there are 1,000 students in a school and four children are involved in serious bullying.
“In the media, they talk about the four people. They do not talk about the other 996.
"I am not trying to downplay bullying incidents but I want to remind everyone not to allow such cases to define the wider student population," he said.
He said with National Day approaching our independence should not only mean freedom from colonial rule but freedom of the mind and soul.
He said this was important in upholding human values and ensuring that people did not look down on others based on their wealth, knowledge, skin colour or culture.
“Human values are limited when you look down on others because if you are rich and look down on the poor, or if you are educated and belittle those below you.
"We must not have outdated thinking.
“If we look down on others because of their skin colour or because their culture is foreign to us, then we are not independent.
"We are not upholding human values,” he said.
He said the education system should provide as much space as possible for children from all races and regions, regardless of their socioeconomic backgrounds.
“In the world of education, we talk about providing as much space as possible for all children, from all races, the poor, the rich, those in villages, the interior and rural areas, as well as the urban poor.
“They must all be given access to quality education,” he said.
