After a recent spate of bullying in schools, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak said recently that it was important to develop people’s morals besides physical infrastructure.
“Speaking to artists at a break fast function, he reminded them to be role models to Malaysians in order to prevent cases of extreme bullying from happening again in the country.”
I welcome this suggestion.
Nevertheless, I think the government must do more in order to prevent cases of bullying.
The Prime Minister must ensure that a bill is tabled in Parliament in its next sitting which focuses on the problem. This bill must amongst other things, look at ways and means by which regulations are made to protect those bullied and to facilitate a proper complaints process for them to report such incidents so as to ensure that the problem is properly dealt with at all stages.
The proposed bill should also focus on the nature of action to be taken against bullies as they may be students as well.
There should also be provisions to deal with victims and witnesses in such cases as this is needed to strengthen the complaints process as well.
In addition to that, there must be provision made to rope in the police or other relevant organizations so that they can assist in the matter be it by physical presence or otherwise in places where incidents like these are said to be rampant.
There are countries which have made such legislation. Focus is on both physical and psychological bullying. I think that is the correct approach to take as bullying can take place in many different ways.
There is the need to look beyond schools and into cyber laws to deal holistically with this problem as well.
We in the DAP are prepared to assist the government in this matter. We have taken steps in the hope of addressing the problem in Penang (pls see report below) but what is needed is federal legislation which will apply across the nation so as to ensure that this problem is dealt with without further delay.
I therefore call upon the Prime Minister to demonstrate that his government is serious in dealing with this problem. He ought to do this by bringing into force new laws through Parliament in its next sitting.