The school-level initiative was launched today at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandaran 3 in the Sibu district.
KUCHING: The Sarawak Education Department, police force and the National Anti-Drug Agency have kick-started a statewide campaign to tackle bullying and drug abuse among school students.
The school-level initiative was launched today at Sekolah Kebangsaan Bandaran 3 in the Sibu district.
Speaking at the launch, Sibu District Police Chief Asst Comm Azari Miskon stated that the authorities view cases of bullying and substance abuse with the utmost seriousness.
“These cases can jeopardise the future of our young people. We cannot compromise on such acts. We must do everything within our power to stop these incidents at the root cause,” he said.
Under the campaign, the police will liaise with the Education Department, anti-drug agencies and school management across the state.
The goal is to reinforce the message that bullying and drug abuse are serious offences that can derail a student’s future.
“We will establish avenues within schools for students to report such incidents. We will ensure that schools provide a safe and conducive environment for all students, protecting them at all times from elements that can cause them harm,” Azari added.
The campaign is set to be rolled out across all other schools in the Sibu district in stages. Other districts in Sarawak are expected to launch similar initiatives following a reported surge in bullying and drug abuse among youths in the state.
The Sarawak Women, Family and Community Wellbeing Ministry recently expressed concern regarding the continuous rise in violent bullying cases within schools and youth training circles.
Minister Datuk Seri Fatimah Abdullah revealed worrying statistics, pointing to 49 confirmed cases of violent bullying involving students in Sarawak last year.
“Last year, there were 49 confirmed cases of violence and bullying involving school students in Sarawak. So far, 25 of these cases have been taken to court for prosecution under the Penal Code,” she said while chairing a committee meeting in February.
Fatimah added that the Ministry observed a critical need to activate a dedicated committee to address the growing problem among students and those in educational or youth training institutes.
The committee will also handle bullying cases involving youths outside of the school system and those already in the workforce.
“Tackling the issue at the root cause is a must. Comprehensive efforts must be made to identify and weed out bullying and ragging among students before they turn violent and cause harm to innocent victims,” she added.
