Calls grow for comprehensive study on bullying in Malaysian schools

PETALING JAYA – Stakeholders are calling for a comprehensive nationwide study on bullying, warning that existing research is fragmented and inadequate to capture the true scale of the ­problem.

Institute for Democracy and Economic Affairs manager Amalia Annuar said bullying in schools remained normalised, ­particularly in elite boarding institutions.

“What we lack in Malaysia is a comprehensive study on bullying. What we have are sporadic studies – by state, by district – perhaps due to the lack of openness from certain parties to allow research in schools and dormitories.

“Until we have that, we cannot truly understand the real trend,” she said during the “Hentikan Buli: Suara Rakyat, Tanggungjawab Kita” town hall session organised by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development on Sept 10.

Ms Amalia, who entered a boarding school at 13, recalled being told by a school counsellor that bullying was “normal” and something to be endured.

She described practices such as greeting seniors in prescribed ways, washing their shoes, preparing their food and allowing them to cut queues as routine.

Calling this attitude “disheartening”, Ms Amalia urged Parliament to hold a dedicated town hall session with children themselves.

She also recommended amending anti-bullying guidelines to embed child protection principles, creating a child-friendly helpline and prioritising preventative measures over reactive responses.

Others called for more direct interventions, with Sekolah Agama Menengah Tanjung Karang deputy president Nur Hamzah Suratman suggesting that bullying be included in civic education classes and even Friday sermons.

He also advocated reinstating caning as a deterrent, displaying banners in schools with anti-bullying messages and allocating more funds for awareness campaigns.

Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail said children’s voices must be central to the discussion.

“We always talk about children, but they are not involved. Communities need more programmes not made for children, but by children,” she said, adding that Parliament must also strengthen systems to protect all parties, including children with disabilities.

Ms Rodziah rejected the suggestion of reinstating caning, noting that international conventions and existing laws prohibit it.

Instead, she said Parliament must reinforce awareness that bullying is a criminal offence, and review hierarchical systems within schools that allow power to be misused.

Taman Medan assemblyman Afif Bahardin proposed creating a “severity index” to measure the incidence of bullying in schools, similar to average grades, and to make the results public.

“If schools are labelled, principals, teachers and parent-teacher associations will automatically feel pressured to improve,” he said.

He also suggested compulsory anonymous reporting mechanisms, such as drop boxes or apps, to empower the victims to come forward.

Earlier, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Johari Abdul said bullying remained deeply entrenched in schools, universities and even families, warning that its greatest impact was often on mental health.

Recalling his own experiences from the 1970s and cases he ­witnessed abroad, he said some victims were left traumatised or even driven to suicide.

Mr Johari stressed that the committee must ensure its findings are made public and debated.

Committee chairman Yeo Bee Yin said more grassroots voices would be gathered before long-term proposals are submitted to the government.

I thought it was harmless fun, but I was wrong, says Malaysian bully

Several former bullies admitted targeting their peers in school out of a desire to feel powerful over those they saw as weaker, while convincing themselves it was “just harmless fun”.

However, over time, these former bullies realised the damage they had caused and wished they had acted differently.

Bullying in schools, as defined by Unesco, is “a damaging social process that is characterised by an imbalance of power driven by social (societal) and institutional norms”.

“It is often repeated and manifests as unwanted interpersonal behaviour among students or school personnel that causes phy­sical, social and emotional harm to the targeted individuals or groups and the wider school community.”

A 45-year-old corporate worker, who declined to be named, admitted she was once a bully in Stan­dard Four because she wanted to fit in with the popular group.

“It was peer pressure. I’ve always been with the ‘popular’ cliques. But this particular group of girls took to bullying and being mean to some of the younger and weaker kids. And I was conditioned to join them. No excuses but that was what I did.”

She recalled how they often targeted children one or two years younger, deliberately using harsh words to reduce them to tears.

“It only stopped when one of the victims told her parents and they got involved,” she added.

Looking back, she said she spent the rest of her school years and even after finishing secon­dary school trying to make up for her mistake.

She even had the chance to meet the girl she had bullied and apologised in person.

“I felt really bad because I knew what I did was wrong. I lived with regret, so I tried to make up for it by protecting weaker kids at school,” she said.

Her advice to others: “If you want to feel powerful or popular, don’t be mean and do it at the expense of others.

“Bullying will only eat away at you in the long run.”

Trisha, 24, (not her real name) recalled bullying a timid, smart classmate when she was nine.

“I would keep dropping his pencil and eraser on purpose, making him pick them up.

“I also took his book to copy his homework. At the time, I thought it was harmless fun,” she said.

Looking back, she regrets her actions.

“I wish I had been more mindful. Children should be taught empathy from a young age and those who are timid should also be encouraged to speak up.”

Mr Kamal, a 37-year-old businessman, admitted that during his school years, he often ganged up with friends to mock and intimidate weaker classmates.

“At that time, we thought it was just fun and games. We would laugh whenever our classmates became scared and begged us to stop. Perhaps it gave us a sense of superiority, but in truth, it was an immature and cruel way of dealing with our own insecurities,” he said.

Now a father, Mr Kamal said the regret weighs heavily on him.

“I’m ashamed of my actions. If I could turn back time, I wouldn’t have done those things.

“Today, I constantly remind my children about kindness and empathy, so they don’t repeat my mistakes,” he said.

Mr Lim, 33, an analyst, said he and his friends used to target a classmate who had a mole on his face, teasing him until he had it removed.

“We were shocked when he did it, but instead of stopping, we continued to make fun of him when the mole grew back,” he recalled.

With hindsight, Mr Lim now recognised the cruelty of their beha­viour.

“Looking back, it must have been traumatic for him. I feel genuinely sorry for what we did,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK