SIBU: All parties, including parents, teachers and students, need to work together in an effort to combat the increasingly worrying phenomenon of bullying in the country.
Bawang Assan’s State Assemblyman, Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, stressed that the issue of bullying could no longer be considered a mere disciplinary problem but had instead become a national crisis that threatened the safety and mental health of the younger generation.
According to him, bullying in schools now not only involves mockery or verbal abuse, but also an increasing number of incidents of physical violence, including sexual assault and murder cases, which have been widely reported by the mass media.
“What was once seen as student mischief has now turned into a serious threat to the well-being of students.
“Bullying is no longer a school issue; it is now affecting the moral and mental values of our children,” he said at the Anti-Bullying Programme organised by the National Consumer Action Council (MTPN) in collaboration with the University of Technology Sarawak (UTS), at the UTS campus here on Sunday.
Wong also expressed concern over the increase in cyberbullying which exposed victims to endless emotional stress, including outside school hours.
“Previously, bullying only happened in school premises. Now, through social media, it happens 24 hours a day. This is very worrying,” he explained.
He called for a culture of caring and empathy to be created in schools and the community to ensure that every student would feel safe and valued.
He also encouraged students to use their creativity through posters and social media campaigns to convey positive messages and reject hatred.
“I was amazed to see the creativity of the students today. The posters they produced had very strong messages and were difficult to judge because they were all very good. Use your talents to spread love and inspiration,” he said.
Wong stressed that efforts to combat bullying would only be successful if done collectively by all parties – parents, teachers, students and the community as a whole.
“We all have a role to play. Awareness of what is right and wrong needs to be instilled from the beginning. We must stand up against the culture of bullying,” he stressed.
The programme was also attended by over 300 students and lecturers from various faculties, with various creative activities including poster competitions, forums and interactive sessions on bullying awareness.
MTPN’s Vice-President, Kelvin Lo, and MTPN Sarawak’s Regional President, Lucas Lau Sieu Sing, were among those present.
