Ministry watching out for bullying in schools

KUALA LUMPUR: The Education Ministry is on alert for bullying cases in school, vowing to thoroughly investigate all the reports it receives.

Expressing the ministry’s concern about the cases, Deputy Minister Datuk Chong Sin Woon also promised to announce the results of its investigation.

“We had discussions with the police and the military two weeks ago about this issue because we’re collaborating with them as far as schools are concerned.

“We’re against bullying and we need the support from the community. Please come forward to help because it’s not just a school issue.

“Most of the cases that we see in the video clips happen outside of school. So, support from the community and parents is vital for us to combat bullying,” he said here yesterday.

Chong was talking to reporters after witnessing the signing of a memorandum of agreement between Tiger Synergy Bhd and Prosma Bhd to spearhead the development of affordable homes and rent-to-buy schemes.

Recently, a video clip of a drunk student being pushed, shoved and verbally abused by about eight students went viral. All of them were wearing school uniforms.

On June 11, 18-year-old T. Nhaveen was allegedly assaulted, sodomised and burned by a group of teenagers – some of whom were believed to be his ex-schoolmates – in Bukit Gelugor, Penang. He later died.

Two weeks earlier, National Defence University of Malaysia student Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, 21, died after he was allegedly assaulted by a group of varsity students in Serdang.

Chong said, however, that sometimes the cases reported were not of bullying but fighting, which fell under police jurisdiction.

The MCA Youth chief also lambasted Pakatan Harapan for planning a rally in September, close to the celebrations for Merdeka and Malaysia Day.

“Pakatan is doing all this at a time when we are going to celebrate 60 years of independence and Malaysia Day.

“I think they have lost their direction. They have to differentiate between politics and the nation’s celebrations so, please, stop all the nonsense,” he said, adding that Merdeka and Malaysia Day were for all Malaysians and not only Barisan Nasional supporters.