Pemenang proposes new law to deal with bullying and ragging
GEORGE TOWN: Following the recent spate of bullying cases, which led to the death of the victims, Penang Malay Association (Pemenang) has urged the authorities to introduce a new law to deal with bullying and ragging.
Its president, Tan Sri Mohd Yussof Latiff, said bullying and ragging in schools and institutions of higher learning should be banned, failing which, the negative culture would worsen.
For a start, he said the Education, Higher Education and the Women, Family and Community Development ministries must come out with a law for swift and stern actions to be taken against bullies.
“Once a bullying case has been established, the culprits (usually underage) should be tried at the Juvenile Court.
“If found guilty, they should be sent to reform centres.
“Once they have undergone the reform process, only then should they be allowed to return to society and resume schooling.
“As such, we hope the three ministries will deliberate together to come up with the muchneeded law,” he said yesterday.
Yussof said a memorandum on Pemenang’s proposal (for the law) would be sent to the three ministries next month, adding that a copy would be sent to Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak and Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi.
“The bullying and ragging culture has been going on for too long. It is time we nipped the problem in the bud,” he said.
Yussof said Pemenang proposed that actions be taken against parents of the bullies, or even teachers who tried to cover up the bullying in their respective schools.
In the latest incident, T. Nhaveen , 18, succumbed to injuries at Penang Hospital on June 15, six days after he was attacked by a group of boys.
Two of them used to bully Nhaveen in secondary school.
In another incident, Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia naval cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, 21, died at Serdang Hospital on June 1 after he was allegedly assaulted over an alleged laptop theft on May 22.
The cases garnered widespread attention on social media, with Malaysians expressing sympathy towards the victims and their family.
Malaysians are rallying behind the victims’ families, calling for swift justice to be served.