Anti-Bullying Tribunal Bill proposal due within six months, says DPM

THE government has given six months to Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform), Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, to present a formal proposal on the drafting of an Anti-Bullying Tribunal Bill to the Cabinet.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the paper will only be tabled after Azalina completes a series of engagement sessions with stakeholders across the country.

“The drafting of this bill is crucial to stop bullying from continuing to occur and haunting the minds of parents and the children or students who fall victim to it,” he told reporters after officiating the KKDW Motivation Programme in Bagan Datuk today.

Zahid, who also serves as Minister of Rural and Regional Development, said the Cabinet has proposed that the Parents and Teachers Associations (PIBG) nationwide be actively involved in the drafting process. This includes boarding schools, Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM), elite institutions such as the Royal Military College (RMC), and both public and private universities.

He added that uniformed bodies could also be brought into the fold to ensure that no single institution becomes unfairly implicated.

“The establishment of this tribunal should, in my view, encompass all parties. We do not want any allegations to tarnish the reputation of any institution in our country,” Zahid said.

Also present were Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir and MARA Chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki.

Touching on other matters, Zahid announced that the pilot project QuranTaska Kemas will be expanded nationwide, with children at all 10,883 KEMAS pre-schools reciting prayers and religious practices for five minutes each day.

“This initiative will help instil values and shape the character of children under KEMAS,” he said.

On housing, Zahid noted that the People's Prosperity Housing Programme (PPRS) is a collaborative effort between his ministry and the Ministry of Housing and Local Government (KPKT).

He said PPRS will be extended, including upgrading homes previously covered under the former Hardcore Poor Housing Programme (PPRT).

“We have enlisted GiatMARA, Felcra Bina, and Risda Bina to implement the programme across the country,” he added. - Sept 7, 2025