Malaysia mulls over anti-bullying law after spate of cases and tragic death of Sabah teen

KUALA LUMPUR – Bullying in Malaysia has been rising at an alarming pace, with thousands of cases reported in schools and other educational institutions each year.

And while some victims can brush off or move past the unpleasant interactions, more often than is realised, young lives are scarred, and, in some instances, lost. In the last few years, at least seven high-profile incidents supposedly linked to bullying that resulted in injury or death have made headlines.

The recent death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir in Sabah has

brought the issue of bullying to the forefront

like never before, unleashing grief and anger across the nation. Her death in July led to street protests in several cities, and an evening vigil in the capital, Kuala Lumpur.

Reports of bullying in Malaysia’s learning institutions have risen sharply in recent years.

Professor Datuk Noor Aziah Mohd Awal, who served until June as children’s commissioner under the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia, told The Straits Times: “The increase in the number of (bullying) cases needs to be looked at seriously. It also means that incidents of bullying are being reported and are no longer hidden or swept under the carpet.”

The Education Ministry recorded 3,883 reported cases of bullying in primary and secondary schools in 2022. The number rose to 6,528 cases in 2023, then director-general Azman Adnan said in December 2024.

There were 6,208 bullying cases in schools between January and October 2024.

On a broader scale, meanwhile, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission took down 8,756 pieces of cyber-bullying-related online content in 2024, sharply higher than the 1,763 content pieces taken down in 2023, said Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching in January. This significant increase highlights the growing issue of cyber bullying on social media platforms in Malaysia.

The tragic tale of Zara has revived calls for systemic reform, and prompted the government to consider an anti-bullying Act – a move some say is long overdue, while others question if legislation alone can fix what is, at its core, a cultural and institutional failure.

Zara died on July 17, a day after being found unconscious in a drain at her boarding school in Sabah after what looked like a fall.

But as the facts emerged,

five teenagers were charged in Kota Kinabalu

on Aug 20 in connection with the bullying of Zara under existing sections of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which covers the offence of using or making any threatening, abusive or insulting words or communication.

There is currently no specific definition or clear punishment for bullying in Malaysia’s laws.

As such, the government is now considering a dedicated anti-bullying Act, de facto Law Minister Azalina Othman Said said on Aug 20.

The main issue currently is the absence of a specific definition of bullying or penalties for such offences under existing legal provisions, she said.

At present, bullying-related cases are dealt with under various laws, including the Online Safety Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, labour laws,  and several provisions under the Penal Code that also cover threatening or abusive behaviour.

Zara’s case has transfixed Malaysia, stirring grief and anger over what is perceived as double standards in meting out justice, and a national conversation about how to stop bullying in schools and whether a dedicated anti-bullying Act is needed.

Public outcry has grown in the five weeks since Zara’s death, with accusations on social media of a cover-up by the authorities and lack of action due to alleged connections to a powerful political figure.

That anger intensified when the lawyer for one of the accused said that he was providing his services pro bono, prompting a further wave of criticism on social media.

For many Malaysians, the backlash against the lawyer reflects how mistrustful the public mood has become.

As Sabah gears up for a state election expected later in 2025, the bullying debate is feeding into a broader wave of anti-elitism and resentment towards the privileged and powerful.

A senior political leader in Sabah told ST: “The anti-bullying movement in Zara Qairina’s case is organic and, to some extent, anti-elitist. What worries me is that fake news is being portrayed as real, which could contribute to mob rule.”

For many families in Malaysia, bullying and its repercussions are uppermost in their minds, hence the call for tougher safeguards, especially in schools and institutions.

Johor resident Siti Suhana Misdi, 39, told reporters that her 10-year-old son, Izzul Islam Azuan Isaidi, was bullied twice in 2025 – in February and August. 

The most recent alleged assault occurred on Aug 7 at his primary school. He was said to have been struck on the head and required hospitalisation. The earlier incident purportedly happened at a religious school, where he was said to have suffered concussion from a beating. Both cases involved different groups of boys.

“We hope that appropriate action will be taken against those involved to avoid any further harm or complications,” Ms Suhana told the media on Aug 18.

“He fainted this morning and is not like his usual self. He is still in pain and recovering from the Aug 7 incident,” she said, adding that police reports have been made over the two incidents – with the latest filed on Aug 14 at the Taman Universiti Police Station in Skudai.

“He is traumatised from being bullied,” Ms Suhana told reporters at the family’s home in the southern Malaysian state on Aug 22.

The boy’s case making the headlines soon after Zara’s death caught the attention of the Johor Regent, Tunku Ismail Sultan Ibrahim, who has

joined the nationwide chorus against bullying.

 

Like Zara’s case, bullying has also taken darker and sometimes fatal turns in other institutions of learning.

In one of the worst cases in the country, 20-year-old Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, a military cadet officer at the National Defence University of Malaysia, was tortured with a steam iron at the military university’s hostel by fellow students, and

died from multiple injuries in June 2017.

On Aug 22, 13 male students from a vocational college in Lahad Datu, Sabah,

were convicted of the murder of a 17-year-old student,

who died as a result of a violent assault in the college’s dormitory in 2024.

On Aug 20, a private university student fell from a condominium in KL. Her father alleged that she had suffered from long-term verbal bullying and isolation by several classmates.

The issue of bullying has become a national concern. And the death of Zara has forced Malaysians to confront how far the problem of bullying has spread and realise the need for new laws that can make children safer behind school gates, experts say.

While some measures to address bullying do exist – for example, the Education Ministry has a Sekolahku Sejahtera (My Safe School) web portal, which allows students and parents to report bullying incidents directly – many believe they are not good enough.

Malaysian Bar Council president Mohamad Ezri Abdul Wahab told ST: “A dedicated (anti-bullying) Act could fill that gap (to address bullying specifically) – defining physical, verbal, psychological and digital bullying clearly.

“It could also mandate school-specific procedures for swift and age-appropriate handling of cases, complementing criminal law with social and educational responsiveness.”

Others say a balanced approach is required, one that holds perpetrators accountable while recognising that both bullies and victims are often still minors.

“What we need is a proper intervention programme to help these children. Bullying in schools usually involves children (under 18) and needs special care and attention,” said Prof Noor Aziah.

“For most cases involving minors, rehabilitation should be the priority,” said Datuk Mohamad Ezri.

“Peer counselling, restorative justice and behavioural interventions can address root causes constructively, though criminal provisions remain necessary for severe incidents,” he said, adding that empathy and kindness, just like literacy, should also be taught in classrooms.

Experts note that Zara’s case fuelled national outrage not solely because of the tragic outcome but also because of how the authorities handled the matter.

“No immediate action was taken by the school or the ministry,” noted Prof Noor Aziah.

“Even after the case went viral, the ministry took its own sweet time to respond.”

Ms Suhana, who is seeking justice for her bullied boy, said: “It is good to have (an anti-bullying law). If not, our children will continue to be beaten or bullied verbally. With legal measures, maybe bullies will be more fearful and careful, and not simply hit others at will.”