KUCHING: A Sarawak Bullying Issue Management Committee will be set up to manage and address bullying cases in Sarawak, with an initial focus on incidents involving school students.
Women, Early Childhood and Community Well-being Development Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah disclosed this after chairing a meeting here Tuesday (Feb 3).
“In this meeting we agreed to establish to committee to manage bullying issues in Sarawak and to clearly define its scope.
“The committee will focus on bullying in schools, higher education institutions, workplaces, and also private educational institutions,” she said.
Fatimah said presentations at the meeting indicated that bullying cases among school students require the most urgent attention, although this does not mean that bullying does not occur in other settings.
“At present, we do not have complete data on bullying cases in workplaces and other areas. Until such data is available, our immediate focus will be on addressing bullying among school students,” she said.
She said that while government schools have clear standard operating procedures (SOPs) to handle bullying cases, a gap exists in private schools where SOPs may not be standardised.
“As there is a gap, under this committee we will appoint a lead agency to specifically focus on bullying issues in private schools,” she said, adding that similar attention would also be given to workplace bullying.
Fatimah stressed that awareness programmes would be a key component of the committee’s approach, aimed at helping students, workers and the wider community understand what constitutes bullying, its impacts, and where to seek help.
“Creating awareness is very important, so that victims realise they have been bullied and know they should take action and seek assistance. Support must not only be given to victims, but also through proper systems to ensure cases are addressed effectively,” she said.
She also emphasised the need for schools to fully enforce existing SOPs, including timely investigations and appropriate escalation to the police when necessary, to ensure students feel safe and confident to report incidents.
“Every child needs to be heard. Their voices must be taken seriously so that schools are seen as safe environments where students can focus on their studies without fear or anxiety,” she added.
Fatimah said the issue of bullying has been elevated to the state level to enable coordinated, inter-agency action involving 15 agencies, including the police, health department, Social Welfare Department, and mental health organisations.
Meanwhile, police reported that 49 investigation papers related to bullying cases involving school students were opened in 2025, an increase from 15 cases recorded the previous year.
The cases were investigated under eight sections of the Penal Code, including Sections 147, 506, 507, 323, 324, 325, 507B and 507C.
