Culture & Entertainment · Malaysia Bureau
Schools remain primary avenue for bullying complaints, says minister
Malaysia's Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azalina Othman has emphasised that students should exhaust internal school channels before escalating bullying cases to the Anti-Bullying Tribunal, positioning the tribunal as a secondary recourse.
LSN Malaysia ·
KUALA LUMPUR — Schools should continue to serve as the first point of intervention for bullying complaints, with the Anti-Bullying Tribunal (TAB) functioning as a backup option, according to Dewan Rakyat Speaker Azalina Othman.
Azalina's remarks underscore the government's preference for resolving bullying incidents through existing school mechanisms, including counselling services and disciplinary procedures. The approach reflects concerns about maintaining institutional capacity while ensuring grievances are addressed at the most appropriate level.
The Anti-Bullying Tribunal was established to provide an independent avenue for students and parents to seek justice when school-based resolutions prove inadequate or unsatisfactory. By positioning TAB as a secondary channel, authorities aim to balance accessibility with efficiency in addressing the persistent issue of bullying in Malaysian educational institutions.
School administrators are expected to handle initial complaints through established protocols, with escalation to TAB reserved for cases where internal mechanisms fail or disputes require external arbitration. The two-tiered approach reflects ongoing efforts to combat bullying while preserving the role of schools in maintaining discipline and student welfare.
Photo: Law and Institutional Reform Minister Azalina Othman Said meets US Ambassador Brian McFeeters in Kuala Lumpur, June 2023. United States Embassy Kuala Lumpur via Wikimedia Commons (public domain).