PUTRAJAYA: Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the government will hold a special retreat soon to coordinate standard operating procedures (SOPs) to comprehensively address bullying cases.
Fahmi, who is also the MADANI Government spokesperson, said this follows the amendment to Section 507 of the Penal Code, which came into effect in July, which clearly stipulates bullying as a criminal offence.
“As such, the SOP and several related matters need to be understood by all institutions,” he said at his weekly press conference here today.
Among the ministries and agencies involved are the Education Ministry; the Defence Ministry, which manages the Royal Military College; the Rural and Regional Development Ministry through Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA), particularly Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM); the Attorney-General’s Chambers, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM); and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC).
He said this was necessary as the agencies have different SOPs in addressing bullying cases.
“One institution may do it this way, while another may do it differently. However, in terms of prosecution and safety, many parties are involved, so a retreat will be held soon,” he said.
In another development, Fahmi said that the Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, today tabled a proposal to the Cabinet for the establishment of a tribunal to handle bullying cases involving children.
“But she (Azalina) has asked for some time to prepare the related documents before tabling it again to the Cabinet,” he said.
Azalina was previously reported to have said that the government would review the need to enact an Anti-Bullying Act that emphasises the establishment of a tribunal to hear bullying cases involving students and children.
Bullying cases are currently dealt with under various laws, including the Online Safety Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, labour laws, as well as several provisions under the Penal Code. - Bernama
