KUCHING: Community leader, Kapitan Datuk Lau Sei Lok, has called for stronger and more effective measures to address school bullying following a recent incident involving two primary school pupils that sparked widespread public concern.
Lau, who is president of the Simpang Tiga Area Community Association and Padawan Foochow Association, said the alleged bullying of a 10-year-old girl by an 11-year-old schoolmate was particularly worrying as both children were of primary school age and should be growing up in a safe and nurturing environment.
He said bullying cases had become increasingly common in recent years, with some incidents ending in tragedy, including the loss of young lives after prolonged abuse.
“The widely publicised Zara case remains a painful reminder of the seriousness of the issue and the urgent need for effective intervention,” he said in a statement today (June 25).
Lau said while education centres on love and moral values, and counselling has long been emphasised, society must now consider whether these approaches alone are sufficient to curb bullying.
“We have long emphasised education based on love, moral values and counselling. However, judging from some of the incidents that have occurred, we must ask whether these approaches alone are sufficient to curb bullying. This is a question society needs to discuss seriously,” he added.
He noted that some countries have begun re-evaluating their disciplinary approaches, citing public debate in South Korea over stricter disciplinary measures and similar discussions in Malaysia on whether traditional methods, including caning, should be reassessed.
“That being said, I am not advocating violence in education. However, when children gradually lose respect for discipline and rules, we must consider whether more effective methods are needed to correct inappropriate behaviour. This is an issue that educators, parents and society should explore together,” Lau added.
He stressed that bullying could not be tackled by schools alone, saying family upbringing, social surroundings, online influences and peer pressure all contributed to children’s behaviour.
He urged the Ministry of Education, schools, parents, and community organisations to strengthen cooperation to develop a more comprehensive anti-bullying framework and to enhance character education and psychological support services for students.
“Every child is an asset to the future of our nation. We should not wait for another tragedy to occur before taking action,” he stressed.
“We must act now and work together to ensure a safe, supportive and healthy environment for our children to grow and thrive.”
