KUCHING: Sarawak recorded a total of 86 cases of bullying in schools in the first eight months of this year, with incidents detected even among primary school pupils as young as eight to 10 years old.
Minister of Women, Early Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development, Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah said the figure was based on data recorded by the Sarawak State Education Department which covered various forms of bullying, including physical, verbal, non-verbal, and cyberbullying.
“Kuching and Padawan districts recorded the highest number of cases at 28, followed by Serian (14 cases), Sri Aman (5), Baram (4), Bintulu (3), Belaga (2), while Sibu and Bau recorded one case each.
“Of the total, physical bullying recorded the highest number at 54 cases, followed by verbal bullying with 16 cases, non-verbal bullying (9), and cyberbullying (7).
“Therefore, this problem must be addressed holistically as it poses a serious effects on pupils such as as depression, truancy, and the risk of suicide,” she said.
She said this at the Bestari Discourse Programme: Bullying Issues Among Children here today (Sept 27).
Fatimah added that based on statistics from the Royal Malaysia Police (PMP), 20 cases of bullying were recorded in 2024, while five more were recorded between Jan and May this year across Sarawak.
“Based on gender breakdown, in 2024 there were 17 male victims and two female victims identified. During the same period, 43 male perpetrators and three female perpetrators were recorded.
“For January to May 2025, cases involved five male victims, while perpetrators comprised 13 males, with no female victims or perpetrators recorded,” she said.
She added that the rising number of bullying cases in Malaysia each year since 2022 and hence, Sarawak is committed to developing a healthy future generation in line with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) 1989, which emphasises protection from violence and abuse.
“Our aim is to provide comprehensive protection not merely through punishment but also through rehabilitation, counselling support, and intervention for both victims and bullies, including their families,” she said.
She added that the state government is also strengthening various integrated measures, including the use of the Integrated Social Issues Case Management System portal to manage bullying cases in a more systematic, comprehensive, and prompt manner.
“To raise community awareness, the Social Development Randau programme will continue to be implemented across Sarawak, especially in rural and interior areas, focusing on 13 major social issues,” she said.
She also welcomed the federal government’s efforts to table the Anti-Bullying Bill in Parliament soon, following the absence of a specific act on bullying in Malaysia, which has so far relied only on school disciplinary guidelines and general laws.
