Malaysia introduces Bill to curb school bullying as cases spike

KUALA LUMPUR – Malaysia’s legislature will consider a new Bill aimed at reducing bullying in schools following an increase in incidents, including the unsolved death of a 13-year-old girl at her dormitory in July.

The Bill, tabled on Dec 1, was drafted after consultations, including townhalls with school principals, teachers, parents and students.

If both Houses of Parliament approve it, and it receives royal assent, it will become law.

Malaysia is pushing the anti-bullying Bill as harassment hits alarmingly high levels in schools nationwide.

In September, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek told Parliament that the number of bullying cases in the South-east Asian nation

rose 18 per cent to 7,681 in 2024

. The majority of those cases involved secondary schools, she said.

Bullying is a notable problem in Malaysia, which has many boarding schools where traditions of hierarchy are deeply embedded.

Such issues are compounded by the nation’s competitive, exam-driven school environment, which typically prioritises academics over socialisation and emotional development.

One case that has drawn much attention is that of

Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious

in a drain by her school dormitory in Sabah in July and died at a hospital the next day. Police said during the inquest that there were signs of bullying prior to her death.

Five teenagers have since been charged

with using abusive words against Zara, whose case has sparked protests and a nationwide movement against bullying in schools.

In an unrelated incident around the same time, two 13-year-old girls were charged with bullying another girl in Kedah in Malaysia’s north-west. The victim, also 13, was found bound and gagged in a school toilet.

In yet another incident, a 10-year-old boy was hospitalised in Johor for brain trauma after he was allegedly assaulted by older students in a religious school.

Izzul Islam Azuan Isaidi was said to have been beaten after his sister rejected another student’s advances.

Under the new Bill, bullying is defined as covering all major forms – physical, verbal and online.

Serious and unresolved matters would be referred to a newly established Anti-Bullying Tribunal.

Ms Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim, chairwoman of the Parent Action Group for Education Malaysia, said the legislation is a good start.

“This will create the legal scaffolding we’ve long needed to improve reporting and consistent responses across schools and campuses,” she said, adding that much will ultimately depend on schools increasing the number of counsellors.

Ms Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, formerly a member of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, is optimistic that the proposed law could help cut the number of bullying cases.

At the same time, she said it must also recognise that the perpetrators are often children too, and therefore should not be excessively punitive. BLOOMBERG