Bullying cases in schools under the Ministry of Education (MOE) have continued to rise over the past three years since 2022, with more than 70 percent of cases reported in secondary schools.
According to the MOE’s Student Discipline System (SSDM), there were 3,883 bullying cases recorded in 2022, which jumped to 6,528 in 2023 and further increased to 7,681 last year.
Of these, secondary schools accounted for the majority, with 3,064 cases in 2022, 5,418 cases in 2023, and 5,689 cases in 2024. Primary schools also saw a rise, from 819 cases in 2022 to 1,110 cases in 2023, and 1,992 cases in 2024.
Commissioner for Children at the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Dr. Farah Nini Dusuki, said the steady increase shows that bullying is no longer an isolated issue, but one that requires serious intervention at both policy and implementation levels.
“We cannot take bullying lightly because it not only threatens the safety and wellbeing of children, but also has long-term effects on their emotional development and future. That is why drafting the 2025 Anti-Bullying Bill is crucial to ensure stronger protection for children,” she said.
She was speaking during her presentation at the Anti-Bullying Townhall Session organized by the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) today.
Also present were Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said; Education Minister, Fadhlina Sidek; and Communications Minister, Datuk Fahmi Fadzil.
Dr. Farah Nini highlighted findings from the National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS) 2022 involving 33,523 respondents aged 13 to 17, which revealed that:
- 26.7% were mocked over their body shape or facial appearance,
- 16% were teased through sexual jokes, comments, or gestures,
- 13% were deliberately excluded from activities,
- 11.7% were bullied due to race, nationality, or skin color, and
- 20.2% experienced other forms of bullying.
“This is why the Anti-Bullying Act is essential, as cases continue to rise each year and seriously impact children, leading to depression, truancy, and even suicide risks. Malaysia does not yet have a dedicated law on this, relying only on school discipline and general legal provisions,” she explained.
