KUALA LUMPUR: The government is weighing the creation of a special tribunal to handle bullying cases involving children, with an emphasis on rehabilitation.
Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said noted that Malaysia has no legal definition of “bullying”, although related offences are already covered under several sections of the Penal Code, including the recently amended Section 507.
“To be fair, the Education Ministry already has its own guidelines. But when both perpetrators and victims are children, the Child Act still applies.
“This is something the Cabinet may need to discuss — whether we should consider another process, such as a tribunal system, for bullying cases involving children,” she told reporters after the Asean Law Forum 2025 today.
She highlighted that recent amendments to the Suhakam Act now allow for the appointment of child commissioners in Sabah and Sarawak, further strengthening child protection mechanisms.
“Maybe, like the Sexual Harassment Tribunal, we could explore a tribunal system where punishment is not only punitive but more rehabilitative.
“When it comes to children, the approach has to be different,” she said.
Bullying has come under scrutiny following the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahadir, who fell from the third floor of her school dormitory in Sabah last month.
Separately, four teenagers in Sungai Petani were recently charged in court over two bullying incidents - one involving a Form One girl found tied up with her mouth covered, and another in which a Form Three boy was allegedly punched by his schoolmates.
