12-08-2025
Safety audit of all schools
Published on: Tuesday, August 12, 2025
Published on: Tue, Aug 12, 2025 Text Size: Dr Mohd Azam: Findings within three months. Kuala Lumpur: The Ministry of Education (MOE) will carry out an immediate safety audit of all schools, including fully residential institutions and hostels, with findings to be presented to the Ministry's top management within three months. Education Director-General Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad said the audit will focus on compliance with safety-related SOPs.
Advertisement 'The existing complaint system, including the Anti-Bullying Portal, will be reformed,' he said in a statement, Monday. 'It will be simplified and include an anonymous reporting option to protect the identities of complainants and witnesses,' he added. The move follows public outrage over the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school dormitory in Sabah. Her body was later exhumed for a post-mortem amid allegations of bullying, and thousands have rallied for a transparent investigation. The Ministry said it will establish a safety reform committee comprising academics, non-governmental organisations, experts from various fields and police, and representatives from the Parent, Community and Private Sector Involvement network. It also reaffirmed its zero-tolerance stance on bullying, saying offenders may face suspension or expulsion, while administrators, teachers and education officers who fail to manage complaints according to guidelines will face disciplinary action. A new intervention programme called Bangkit Bermaruah will be introduced for students suspended from school, focusing on community service and character development. The Ministry said psychosocial support will be strengthened at every level, with guidance and counselling teachers playing a key role in prevention and intervention. It urged all parties to work together to tackle bullying in a comprehensive and coordinated manner, adding that creating a safe school environment is a shared responsibility. At an event in Kuala Terengganu Monday, Dr Mohd Azam ordered all state education directors and district education officers to conduct spot checks on schools to curb bullying. He said the officials have to also visit boarding schools at night not only to monitor but to get to know and understand how boarding school students live. 'Maybe we need to go down without being told. We go to schools, look at the situation there, we want to see the nature of the school, how things happen. We might visit at night to see dormitories,' he told reporters after the Madani Teachers Appreciation event officiated by Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek. He added that school principals and headmasters were instructed by the Ministry to lead chants of 'Kami Benci Buli' (We Hate Bullying) before and after each school session to instil a sense of abhorrence for bullying in the hearts and minds of students and pupils. He also revealed that the Ministry would improve security features in schools, especially boarding schools, to curb bullying incidents such as adding the number of closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and the number of dormitory wardens. He urged all parties, including teachers, Parent-Teacher Associations and local communities, to play their roles in ensuring the safety of students in dormitories, especially at night. He also urged the public to refrain from gathering in front of or boycotting SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Limauan, Kinarut, Sabah. He said fairness must also be extended to the school's students and teachers, while safeguarding their emotional and psychological well-being. 'I believe the authorities will carry out their duties to the best of their ability. 'At the Ministry level, the Minister will provide full support,' he said. Azam reiterated the Ministry's call for the public to avoid negative actions against the school, such as demonstrations at its premises. He said the Ministry had taken measures to strengthen student safety, including increasing the number of wardens and expediting the installation of closed-circuit television cameras. 'I have directed the Inspectorate Board to conduct daily safety audits for schools and hostels, with immediate reporting.' * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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