Kota Kinabalu: Gabungan Rakyat Sabah (GRS) women’s chief Datuk Seri Azizah Dun called for a comprehensive approach to tackle bullying, as laws alone are insufficient without proper enforcement.
She said the systems in place must also give victims the confidence to speak out.
“Even if laws exist, without enforcement they will not work. Victims often remain silent in fear of repercussions.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});“There must be a system so that anyone who is bullied feels safe to make a report, knowing they will be protected and that action will be taken,” she said.
Azizah, who chairs the Sabah think tank Institute for Development Studies (IDS), said it is already studying ways to strengthen enforcement and early intervention with the aim of preventing tragedies such as the recent high-profile Zara case.
She stressed that bullying can occur in schools, workplaces, within families, and should be addressed at all levels.
She urged for a holistic study into why bullying happens among children and even adults in the workplace, and how to detect patterns before harm escalates.
“There must be early intervention so the problem is stopped before it reaches a tragic stage. This requires input from psychologists, child specialists and the community, as well as the active involvement of parents.
“Schools should never become a battlefield, the learning environment must be safe and harmonious. Children go to school to enjoy the process of learning, not to prepare themselves for conflict,” she said.
She cautioned against rushing into policy changes based on single cases, saying any revision must be based on detailed study and national consensus.
On preparations for the Sabah state election, she said: “We want to ensure our machinery is ready at the grassroots level in every constituency.”
On seat allocations, she said it goes without saying that the incumbents would be defending their seats.
“We also hope our existing women representatives will be retained and perhaps even add more, God willing,” she said.