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Free Malaysia Today
10 hours ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Incentives for ‘zero-bullying' schools promote cover-ups, says DAP man
During a visit to a school in Taiping, Perak, on Sunday, education minister Fadhlina Sidek said she would give incentives if schools successfully achieved a 'zero-bullying' record. (File pic) PETALING JAYA : A DAP Youth leader has criticised education minister Fadhlina Sidek's offer of incentives to schools if they can show a perfect record of zero-bullying cases. Sarawak DAP Youth treasurer Wong King Yii warned that this could breed a culture of silence for the sake of obtaining the incentives. He expressed concern that schools would sweep bullying cases under the carpet instead of tackling them. Wong said the initiative would not help rebuild the trust of students but would instead lead to more fear, silence victims and embolden bullies further. 'Students have already lost much of their trust in a school system that was supposed to protect them in the first place. To pretend that zero reported cases equals safety is to deny the experiences of countless victims. 'This policy will pressure schools to suppress complaints instead of resolving them, all to protect a 'perfect record',' he said in a statement. Wong urged the ministry to take action on bullying reports filed via the Aduan Buli portal and for the police to be called in for cases involving physical assault. He also suggested that students who suffered from bullying should be given the right to transfer to another school. During a visit to a school in Taiping, Perak, on Sunday, Fadhlina was reported to have said she would give incentives to the school if it successfully achieved a 'zero-bullying' record. This followed a spate of bullying cases in schools, including in the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir. Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told the Dewan Rakyat yesterday that the probe into Zara's death had revealed elements of bullying, neglect and sexual harassment. Last week, the education ministry said it would review its SOPs on school safety and for handling disciplinary issues, including bullying, while the Aduan Buli portal would be revamped to allow for anonymous reports to be filed.
Free Malaysia Today
3 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Unrealistic to cut ties with only Akmal, says DAP man
V Papparaidu urged DAP Youth leaders to keep calm as Umno Youth chief Akmal Saleh is already under police investigation. PETALING JAYA : A member of the DAP leadership has played down calls for the party to sever ties with Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh over his actions in the Jalur Gemilang issue, but promises that the matter will be discussed by the top leadership. DAP central executive committee member V Papparaidu said it would be unrealistic to expect the party to cut ties with Akmal without affecting its wider relationship with Umno, which could hamper the stability of the unity government, of which Umno is a key partner. 'Political relationships are complex and interconnected, and any action we take must be carefully weighed so as not to jeopardise broader cooperation and stability,' he told FMT. Nonetheless, Papparaidu said he would ensure that the proposal, raised by the Penang and Negeri Sembilan DAP Youth, would be brought to the CEC. 'Every view from the grassroots is valuable, and it is important that such perspectives are given a proper platform. However, we always follow our secretary-general's guidance and advice to ensure our party's discipline is maintained at all times,' he said. He urged DAP Youth leaders to keep calm and be patient since Akmal was already under police investigation over a Facebook video concerning the flag issue, in which he allegedly made statements that could disrupt public peace. Akmal is under investigation for sedition and criminal intimidation over the video, which is related to a hardware shop owner in Penang who accidentally hung the Jalur Gemilang upside down. Akmal laughed off the threat to sever ties with him and dared DAP to do so, saying such a move would inadvertently mean ending its relationship with Umno. FMT has sought comment from DAP secretary-general Loke Siew Fook. Papparaidu said all politicians should let the police take the lead on the issue. He, nonetheless, took a swipe at Akmal for warning about taking things into his own hands if no punitive action is taken on the hardware shop owner. 'Akmal has attempted to pressure the police by setting an arbitrary time frame for action, which can be interpreted as a threat against the authorities. 'It is important that we continue to uphold the rule of law, respect due process, and maintain discipline in our political actions,' said Papparaidu, who is a Selangor executive councillor.
Free Malaysia Today
4 days ago
- Politics
- Free Malaysia Today
Calls grow for DAP to ‘cut ties' with Akmal
Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh is being investigated for sedition, criminal intimidation, and improper use of network facilities over a Facebook video related to the Jalur Gemilang issue. PETALING JAYA : Another DAP Youth state chapter has called for the party to sever all ties with Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, as the spat related to the upside-down Jalur Gemilang issue continues to drag on. Negeri Sembilan DAP Youth urged the central DAP leadership and youth wing to take a clear stand on Akmal, whom they accused of sowing division among Malaysians and politicising the flag issue. 'We urge the national DAP and DAP Youth leadership to take a clear stand by cutting all political ties with irresponsible politicians like Akmal. 'This is to ensure that DAP Youth remains consistent in rejecting hateful and divisive politics,' it said in a statement today, echoing its Penang counterpart, which made a similar call yesterday. Akmal had laughed off the threat and dared DAP to cut ties with him. The Merlimau assemblyman said severing ties with him would inadvertently mean ending DAP's relationship with Umno, a key partner in the unity government. 'Bring it on,' he said. Akmal is being investigated for sedition, criminal intimidation, and improper use of network facilities over a Facebook video in which he allegedly made statements that could disrupt public peace. The video in question was related to a hardware store owner in Kepala Batas, Penang, who was caught on video allegedly hanging the Jalur Gemilang upside down. Separately, Melaka DAP publicity secretary Kerk Chee Yee said the state chapter should not work with 'individual politicians who don't intend to build a harmonious and inclusive community' in the next state election. Kerk, the Melaka assembly deputy speaker, said Akmal should have handled the flag issue in a mature and tactful manner, claiming that the state executive councillor's actions caused unease among the public.
Malaysiakini
4 days ago
- Politics
- Malaysiakini
N Sembilan DAP Youth joins call to end ties with Akmal over 'hate politics'
A third DAP state youth wing has urged the party's leadership to cut political ties with Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, accusing him of perpetuating 'hate politics' through his handling of the Jalur Gemilang issue. In a statement, the Negeri Sembilan DAP Youth wing said Akmal's actions in politicising the matter were excessive and deliberately framed to portray non-Malays as unpatriotic.
Malaysiakini
10-08-2025
- Business
- Malaysiakini
Bring unity among M'sians if you care about Jalur Gemilang
LETTER | Lately, there has been an ongoing political spat between Umno Youth and DAP Youth. DAP Youth had condemned the statement of Umno Youth chief Dr Akmal Saleh, who urged the public to 'visit' a business premises located in Kepala Batas, Penang 'to right' the issue of a Jalur Gemilang being hung upside down. Looking at the behaviour of both youth leaderships, one wonders whether they represent national-based parties with a plethora of real issues to resolve or confining themselves to being heroes to their respective supporters. Issues related to violating a national flag should be seen from the perspective of intentions and be corrected through education, if there has been a mistake. The force of law should come into play when people deliberately violate what is considered a symbol of national identity and unity. The Malaysian flag itself reflects the substance of national unity and both Umno Youth and DAP Youth should focus on that by working together to build a cohesive and progressive society. They should reflect on the deeper message that emanates from the Malaysian flag as follows: Creating a cohesive society Currently, Malaysia is going through various global and national socio-economic challenges, which could only be navigated if there is national consensus and cohesiveness on the direction of the nation. The current trade war in the form of tariffs has forced many nations to re-examine their socio-economic systems that could threaten cohesiveness. US President Donald Trump For example, Singapore has launched a review of its economic strategy, establishing committees to address socio-economic challenges. These committees, composed of political office holders, union representatives, and private sector leaders, would develop strategic recommendations aimed at strengthening Singapore's global competitiveness and improving its start-up ecosystem. The committees will focus on areas like sectoral restructuring, future-ready workforce development, and entrepreneurship. The recommendations are expected to be published by mid-2026. All the issues mentioned transcend race and religious issues. All this is possible in Singapore because it has built a cohesive society where the traditions of ethnicity and religion complement rather than becoming a threat to society. Constitutional principles of justice It is vital for Umno Youth and DAP Youth to come up with a common understanding of fairness and justice in applying the rule of law and the pursuit of social justice. In Malaysia, the perception of double standards in the application of the rule of law is common. We need a youth vision in the country where wrongdoing is punished irrespective of parties, whether in government or opposition. There should be a sense of fear and respect for institutions that will not hesitate to even investigate the prime minister and upper-class elites for wrongdoing. Both Umno Youth and DAP Youth should create such a vision of institutions that respect the wholeness of the Constitution. Institutions of justice should project credibility and integrity if they respect and value the Malaysian flag. The Constitution should also be interpreted in its wholeness and not in parts. Politics of race, religion and ideology tend to view things in parts, and this leads to a myopic vision of the Constitution. Platforms for dialogue, consensus Finally, dialogue in pursuit of unity and social justice is imperative since Malaysia is a multi-ethnic and religious society, with Islam as the official religion of the Federation. The historical roots and formation of the country should be respected and at the same time, the evolving history of Malaysia from an ethno-religious society to a multi-ethnic and multi-religious one should be accepted as fact and reality. Once this foundation is agreed upon without ethno-religious politicking, dialogue among communities of all ethnicities becomes a reality. It is through face-to-face dialogue that one would be able to understand the fears, grievances and aspirations of the other. As for the flag issue, the issue could have been resolved if DAP Youth and Umno Youth sit down and deliberate on the substance of the issue, instead of trying to score political points through the media to show that they are speaking for their communities. There is a necessity for current and future generations to build a culture of dialogue to resolve complex national and global issues. Therefore, it is time for both youth wings to wake up from their selective focus on issues and deal with the real problems facing Malaysians. The views expressed here are those of the author/contributor and do not necessarily represent the views of Malaysiakini.
