The Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) will appoint former military personnel as full-time wardens at all Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) nationwide starting January 2027.
MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the decision followed findings from a study on the effectiveness of appointing full-time external wardens from among former military personnel.
The pilot project was carried out at MRSM Besut and MRSM Balik Pulau by Universiti Putra Malaysia’s (UPM) Institute of Social Studies, led by principal researcher Associate Professor Dr Haliza Abdul Rahman.
According to Asyraf, the 191-page study identified nine key findings, including that former military wardens were effective in maintaining student discipline and the physical security of hostels.
He said the initiative was also positively received by students, parents and school administrators.
“Frequent and systematic warden presence minimises opportunities for bullying and vandalism. Students feel safer and become more disciplined in following schedules and maintaining personal and hostel cleanliness, while also developing values of respect and good conduct,” he said in a Facebook post.
The study also found that the wardens could strengthen students’ spiritual development through their involvement in religious activities, while reducing teachers’ workload and allowing them to focus more on academic excellence and character development.
Asyraf said the presence of the former military personnel had also coincided with a drastic reduction in disciplinary issues, with reported bullying cases during their deployment described as almost zero.
Based on the positive findings, 10 MRSM had already begun recruiting full-time wardens from among former military personnel since July.
“As of now, the results have been very positive, with disciplinary cases dropping drastically at all participating MRSM,” he said.
Asyraf added that he had asked UPM to work with MARA on developing training modules for the new wardens and to expand the study to address mental bullying more comprehensively.
He said the initiative was introduced after many MRSM teachers raised concerns about the RM300 allowance they received for serving as wardens, on top of their existing teaching responsibilities.
Teachers also had to carry out additional hostel duties despite being unable to conduct continuous patrols, particularly at night and in the early morning, which Asyraf said were periods when bullying and abuse could occur.
He said appointing former military personnel, many of whom retire in their 40s while still able to work, would not only create employment opportunities but also provide MRSM with dedicated personnel to help maintain discipline among students.
