KUALA LUMPUR: Parliament has launched the ‘Hentikan Buli: Suara Rakyat, Tanggungjawab Kita’ townhall platform to combat bullying through community engagement.
Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul officiated the first session organised by the Parliamentary Special Select Committee on Women, Children and Community Development.
He confirmed that feedback from teachers, counsellors, parents, and students would be compiled into a comprehensive parliamentary report.
“This bullying issue requires a clear and accurate perspective,“ Johari stated during the launch at Parliament Building’s banquet hall.
He promised to allow parliamentary debate on the report to demonstrate the committee’s serious approach to addressing bullying.
Johari emphasised the urgency of pushing the government to implement serious remedies to protect children from bullying.
He requested committee chairman Yeo Bee Yin to expedite report preparation for tabling during the November parliamentary session.
The chairman will conduct additional townhall sessions outside Kuala Lumpur to gather broader input.
Johari highlighted emotional bullying as a major challenge requiring comprehensive government, educational, and societal solutions.
He shared personal experiences of being bullied as a rubber tapper’s son in school and university.
“I myself have experienced bullying situations, not only physical, but also mental,“ Johari revealed.
He recounted handling bullying cases involving Malaysian students abroad during his tenure as director of Malaysian Students in the United States.
Johari remembered a Terengganu female student calling from Montana while crying due to unbearable bullying.
“This shows that the issue of bullying is not only in Malaysia, but anywhere,“ he added. – Bernama
