Just within two months, our nation was shaken by a string of major crimes reported in our country’s educational institutions. The crimes include bullying and rapes within the school compounds.
- On October 17, it was reported that a Standard One pupil in Shah Alam was admitted to hospital for injuries after being allegedly beaten by two other students two days ago.
- In a rural town in Kedah, three students and a former pupil of the school was arrested a few days ago in an alleged gang rape inside the school compound.
- On October 14, in a school in Bandar Utama, a 16-year-old girl was stabbed to death by a younger fellow schoolmate.
- On October 4, In Alor Gajah, Malacca a Form 3 student was gang raped by a few male students in the school classroom.
- In September, 13-year old Zara Qairina, a secondary school student in Sabah died when she fell from a dormitory window.
- In Negri Sembilan, a 9-year old boy died after falling into an uncovered sewage pit in his school.
Actually, bullying has been happening in our schools and colleges in different degrees for years. So, in 2019, 40 students came together to develop recommendations for an anti-bullying school policy in our country. The number of bullying cases (physical, verbal, social or cyberbullying) has been escalating through the years. In 2024, the number of bullying cases was 7,681, up from 6,528 in 2023. Indeed, the figures are worrisome.
According to a global study, Malaysia has one of the highest rates of bullying in schools. Our schools and institutes of learning are supposed to be a safe place for all our children. But recently it has been proven to be otherwise. What is happening to our nation?
Following these recent cases, many suggestions have been given to solve this problem:
- Implement clear anti-bullying policies
- Enhance teacher training for intervention
- Increase police patrols with more direct engagement with schools
- Raise awareness among students about criminal activities
- A ban on smartphones for students under 16
- Improve educational content to promote moral and ethical values
- To install CCTVs in schools
- Teachers to run metal detectors on students
Wow! Many of the suggestions can actually serve as deterrents. We can brainstorm all we want to reverse this worrying trend. But I believe that what is actually needed is the fear of God in each one of us.
The fear of God will cause us to respect others regardless of whether they are older or younger than us, of the same gender or not. The fear of God will cause us to understand that every life matters and is precious. The fear of God will cause us to refrain from negative traits of lying, stealing and even bullying. Instead, when we fear God, we will spur our classmates or schoolmates to higher achievements through their own diligence as well as our encouragement and support. When the fear of God rules in our hearts, there will be no jealousy when our friends excel in what they do.
May each one of us reflect and ask, “Do I have the fear of God to always do the right thing?”
God bless Malaysia!
October 2025
Mei Wong (mwrejoice@gmail.com) is a content creator under the Newswav Creator programme, where you get to express yourself, be a citizen journalist, and at the same time monetize your content & reach millions of users on Newswav. Log in to creator.newswav.com and become a Newswav Creator now!
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