Anti-Bullying Act proposal to go to Cabinet soon, Azalina says amid vague definition of offence and penalties
She said discussions at the policy level are crucial, as each relevant ministry, such as the Ministry of Women, Family and Community Development (KPWKM), the Education Ministry (MoE), the Higher Education Ministry (MoHE), and the Ministry of National Unity may have their views regarding the enforcement aspects of the law.
'After each ministry submits its feedback, the Legal Affairs Division (BHEUU) will conduct a detailed study and engagement sessions before the matter is brought to the policy level and subsequently to Parliament,' she said.
She was speaking at the ASEAN Law Forum 2025 themed 'Empowering Access to Justice in the ASEAN Economic Community: Bridging Legal Cooperation for Inclusive Growth in the Digital Era' at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre today.
Azalina said the main issue currently is the absence of a specific definition of bullying or penalties for such offences under existing legal provisions.
She said bullying-related cases are currently dealt with under various laws including the Online Safety Act, the Anti-Sexual Harassment Act, labour laws as well as several provisions under the Penal Code.
As such, BHEUU will soon issue a list of Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) to clarify the differences between the Penal Code and the Child Act, to avoid confusion among the public.
'Many misunderstand… children can still be charged under criminal law. However, the procedure is different. For example, they cannot be tried in an open court.
'I want to give assurance that wrong is still wrong. The law applies to everyone, whether children or adults,' she said.
Azalina also said that MoE has outlined comprehensive procedures in addressing bullying cases in schools through a detailed guideline document.
'I've seen the book, it's quite thick and it provides detailed, step-by-step instructions on what to do and how to resolve cases,' she said.
Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, at the Finance Ministry's Monthly Assembly in Putrajaya earlier today, said the proposal to establish a tribunal on bullying cases involving students and children will also be brought to the Cabinet meeting.
The three-day ASEAN Law Forum 2025 gathered 58 speakers and moderators in 15 sessions, with over 300 participants from ASEAN and international bodies discussing various topics, including alternative dispute resolution, commercial law reform and human rights in the digital era.
Among those present were Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Fadillah Yusof, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran, Secretary of the United Nations Commission on International Trade Law (UNCITRAL) Anna Joubin-Bret, Timor-Leste's Justice Minister Sérgio de Jesus Fernandes da Costa Hornai and Laos' Deputy Justice Minister Ketsana Phommachanh.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Barnama
2 hours ago
- Barnama
Malaysia-led Defence Attaches Team Visits Preah Vihear
The Malaysia-led IOT is now visiting the Preah Vihear Province. Photo credit: Information Ministry, Cambodia. By Vijian Paramasivam PHNOM PENH, Aug 20 -- The Interim Observer Team (IOT), established as part of the ceasefire agreement between Cambodia and Thailand, is touring the Preah Vihear province on Wednesday, which has been a flashpoint during the conflict between the countries. The National Defence Ministry said that the IOT, led by Malaysian Defence Attaché to Cambodia Col Nazlee Abdul Rahim, will visit the areas surrounding the world-famous Preah Vihear Temple. bootstrap slideshow 'They are visiting the province this morning to observe, verify and report on the updates of the situation after the ceasefire,' said the ministry's spokesperson Maly Socheata, during a media briefing. Led by Malaysia, the IOT comprises military attaches from Brunei, Indonesia, Laos, Myanmar, the Philippines, and Vietnam, who are scheduled to visit conflict-hit zones in the northern part of Cambodia. They will be responsible for updating on the security conditions in the affected provinces. Cambodia continues to urge the release of its 18 soldiers held by Thailand for the past 21 days, said the ministry. The border conflict began on the morning of July 24 and ended after the intervention of Malaysia, as the ASEAN chair, along with the United States and China. During the Extraordinary Meeting of the Cambodia–Thailand General Border Committee (GBC) on August 7, both countries agreed on a 13-point peace agreement, which included the establishment of the IOT.
The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
PropertyGuru Verified Badge – tailored for Malaysia – introduced to curb scams
KUALA LUMPUR: PropertyGuru Malaysia has introduced the PropertyGuru Verified Badge for property agents on its platform, in partnership with the Board of Valuers, Appraisers, Estate Agents and Property Managers (LPPEH), to curb property scams in the local market. PropertyGuru Malaysia country manager Kenneth Soh said the initiative is tailored for Malaysia, where consumer awareness remains lower compared with its other markets. 'This particular push is Malaysia-specific. The badge helps prevent scams by ensuring consumers can easily identify verified professionals with traceable details, giving them recourse if anything goes wrong,' he said at the official launch yesterday. He said Vietnam already has verified agents and listings, while Singapore's smaller market benefits from stronger consumer awareness, making risks more manageable. In contrast, many Malaysians are still unclear on how to verify an agent's licence. Soh said this gap has fuelled rental scams, one of the most common fraud tactics, where conmen pose as agents, show units booked on short-term rental platforms and disappear after collecting deposits. 'Scammers are getting more and more creative. By starting from the discovery stage, we want consumers to look for verified agents on PropertyGuru. We have their identify card, licence tag and phone number, so if anything happens, there is recourse. Without verification, consumers are often left with no way to trace the scammer,' he added. Soh said over 100 had already been verified on the day of its soft launch (Monday), and numbers are expected to rise quickly. PropertyGuru currently has close to 10,000 agents in Malaysia. 'Our target is to get as close to 100% as possible within the year, depending on submissions from our agent partners and the verification process through eKYC and licence checks,' he said. Kuala Lumpur Criminal Investigation Department head SAC Mohd Razali Mohd Idrus said property-related scams have become increasingly sophisticated, often involving impersonation of licensed agents to deceive unsuspecting buyers and tenants. 'Public awareness and preventive measures are critical. PDRM welcomes collaborative initiatives such as PropertyGuru's Verified Badge, which can help Malaysians make safer property decisions and reduce opportunities for market exploitation,' he said. The PropertyGuru Verified Badge is awarded to registered real estate negotiators, real estate agents and probationary estate agents with active licences via LPPEH which completes PropertyGuru's secure verification process. This process involves confirming agents' identity through eKYC, validating their professional licence details, verifying their registered contact information and acknowledging the Verified Badge terms. Once completed, the PropertyGuru Verified Badge will appear on the agent or negotiator's profile, listings, and search results, making it easier for property seekers to engage with legitimate professionals. According to the LPPEH, unlicensed individuals defrauded more than 1,500 victims, resulting in nearly RM60 million in losses between 2019 and 2023.
Malay Mail
3 hours ago
- Malay Mail
Pamela Ling disappearance: Home minister says police recorded statements from 48 witnesses, including four MACC officers
KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 20 — The police have called 48 witnesses, including four officers from the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC), to record statements to assist in the investigation of the kidnapping case of Datin Seri Pamela Ling Yueh. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said close cooperation was also carried out with enforcement agencies, including the MACC, to ensure a thorough investigation. "Cooperation was made with related agencies, including the Immigration Department, for example, the vehicle said to be used (to kidnap Pamela) was found in the northern border of Bukit Kayu Hitam-Thailand. "This is only believed, not confirmed," he said while wrapping up the 13th Malaysia Plan motion for his ministry in the Dewan Rakyat today. He also said the police investigate every report of kidnapping or missing persons according to the standard operating procedures (SOP) set and based on the rule of law. Saifuddin Nasution said according to police data and records, in every 10 missing person cases, nine were successfully found, including those alive and those who had died. "Specifically, this missing person incident, in terms of data, does not give an alarming picture of the level (of public safety), but we cannot take a denial syndrome attitude because if it involves lives, it is important from the police perspective, and we use all our strength to overcome it," he said. Commenting on the issue of national border security, he said the authorities detected 71 illegal routes for smuggling activities along the Sarawak, Malaysia border with Kalimantan, Indonesia, including hot spots in Ba'kelalan, Lubuk Antu, and Tebedu. The government, he said, had approved an allocation of RM28 million to the Ministry of Home Affairs to develop seven additional security control posts, including Pos Raso 1 in Lundu, Pos Sapit in Padawan, and Pos Tepoi in Serian. "The government also approved an additional allocation of RM64.318 million under the special Sarawak border development allocation, which will be utilised by the General Operations Force (PGA) Brigade Sarawak for the implementation of 22 projects involving 14 non-physical projects and eight physical projects," he said. Saifuddin Nasution said, in addition, to strengthen border control in Sarawak, the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) established another PGA Brigade Sarawak battalion, namely Battalion 23 in Seri Aman, as an addition to the existing three battalions, involving an increase of 320 personnel consisting of senior police officers, junior officers, and civil servants.
