KUALA LUMPUR — Malaysia has recorded a sharp rise in school bullying cases over the past four years, prompting renewed calls for legal reform and preventive measures.
According to CNA, the Ministry of Education reported 7,681 bullying cases in 2024, up from 6,528 in 2023, 3,887 in 2022, and just 326 in 2021.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said in Parliament on August 27 that 5,689 of the cases involved secondary school students, while 1,992 involved primary school students.
“We have always taken this issue seriously, but even more so with the recent cases,” said Farhana, a discipline teacher in Johor Bahru who requested to be identified only by her first name.
She noted that more students are now reporting bullying to school counsellors.
Experts told CNA that bullying is increasingly affecting younger students, with contributing factors including social media exposure, environmental influences, and a “copycat” culture.
“This is worrying because that age is supposed to be a time for character and empathy development, but some are already being exposed to a toxic culture,” said Rizan Hassan of Belia Mahir, a youth empowerment initiative focused on education, training, and community engagement.
Unicef Malaysia’s child protection specialist Lee Lyn-Ni said laws alone are not enough to address bullying, and that restorative approaches are more effective than punitive ones.
“Because children are still developing, they may act impulsively or without fully realising the consequences,” she said.
“A balanced approach ensures that victims are protected while giving those who bully a chance to learn and change.”
The issue gained national attention following the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious after allegedly falling from her dormitory in Sabah on July 16 and died the next day.
Her death sparked widespread social media outrage under the hashtag #JusticeforZara and led to rallies demanding a transparent investigation.
In a separate case, a 10-year-old cancer patient in Johor was allegedly bullied twice this year and required hospitalisation, according to his mother’s social media posts.
Last week, a Form Three student in Sabak Bernam, Selangor, was critically injured after falling from his dormitory’s third floor, with police saying it was too early to confirm if bullying was involved.
The Ministry of Education launched an online portal in 2022 for students and parents to report bullying, which now includes an anonymous reporting feature.
