Penang: The Ministry of Education (MOE) is refining various proposals and measures to enhance student safety, including suggestions to deploy auxiliary police personnel and set up police booths in schools to curb bullying incidents. Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said all proposals are being carefully reviewed before the ministry finalises the actions to be taken.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Fadhlina stated, "We are currently considering all views, first, through the school safety reform committee that we have established, and second, via the ongoing safety audit process." She added that feedback is being gathered through town hall sessions in collaboration with the Ministry of Law and the Ministry of Communications as part of efforts to study the proposed anti-bullying bill. These remarks were made after officiating the Penang-level 2025 Pra Universiti MADANI Congress.
Fadhlina, who serves as the Member of Parliament for Nibong Tebal, was responding to calls from several quarters urging MOE to place auxiliary police and police booths in schools to address the increasingly serious problem of bullying. She mentioned that MOE has already implemented several initiatives to safeguard students and staff, which include stricter enforcement of existing regulations and ensuring compliance with established safety guidelines.
Regarding the Congress, Fadhlina noted that its organisation at the state level, including in Kelantan, demonstrated the initiative and commitment of Form Six students who successfully coordinated the programme. She confirmed receiving the proposals put forward during the state-level congress and assured that they would be given serious consideration, with some already approved. These include proposals to organise workshops and academic programmes.
"This is the second congress after Kelantan, and it is the result of the extraordinary dedication of Form Six students. The Ministry fully supports this effort and will continue to facilitate its implementation at the national level next year," Fadhlina stated.