Lead agency to be appointed to handle bullying in private schools

KUCHING (Feb 4): A lead agency will be appointed under the Sarawak Bullying Management Committee (SBMC) to specifically address the issue in private schools in Sarawak, following the identification of gaps in existing standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Minister of Women, Childhood and Community Wellbeing Development Dato Sri Fatimah Abdullah said while government schools operate under clear SOPs to handle bullying cases, similar frameworks were not consistently in place in private schools.

“Because of this gap, we will establish a lead agency that will focus specifically on bullying issues in private schools, without sidelining bullying cases in workplaces and other settings,” she told a press conference after chairing the first SBMC meeting for 2026 here yesterday.

Fatimah said the newly established committee has a broad mandate covering bullying cases in government and private schools, institutions of higher learning, and workplaces across Sarawak.

However, she noted that bullying cases among school students currently require the most urgent attention, as comprehensive data is readily available compared to other sectors.

“At this stage, our focus is on school students because we have the data. This does not mean bullying does not occur in workplaces or institutions of higher learning, but we need more complete data before expanding interventions,” she said.

She added that bullying cases are handled at different levels, with many resolved at the school level, while more serious cases are referred to the police for investigation and prosecution.

According to statistics presented during the meeting, a total of 20 related cases were opened for investigation in 2023, with 17 cases brought to court, representing a charge rate of 85 per cent.

In 2024, 15 cases were recorded of which four were charged, while the rest were mostly resolved at the school level or did not proceed to court due to withdrawals of reports.

As of 2025, a total of 49 cases have been reported with 25 cases charged, while the remainder were mostly closed as ‘no further action’.

Fatimah said most cases involved physical and verbal bullying, commonly prosecuted under Section 323 of the Penal Code for causing hurt, and Section 506 of the same law for criminal intimidation.

She emphasised the importance of awareness and education programmes to help students, parents, and workers understand what constitutes bullying, its short and long-term impacts, and the support systems available to victims.

“Every child needs to be heard. Schools must be seen as safe environments where students are confident that reports will be acted upon,” she said.

Fatimah added that the committee involves 15 agencies, including the police, Health Department, Social Welfare Department, and mental health organisations, to ensure coordinated and effective action at the state level in addressing bullying issues.