JOHOR BAHRU: The Ministry of Education’s (MoE) ‘MADANI Leadership Movement: End Bullying and Sexual Misconduct’ programme reinforces its initiatives to tackle these critical issues in schools across the nation.
Education director-general Azman Adnan said the initiative is a supportive programme featuring Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, alongside top ministry leadership, engaging directly with students and teachers during official school assemblies.
The first programme, held at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Mutiara Rini here, will extend to other schools nationwide.
“This programme aims to strengthen efforts to address bullying and sexual misconduct in schools. It reflects MoE’s commitment, complementing the existing guidelines issued to manage such issues effectively.
“With the guidelines in place, we hope schools across the country will manage bullying and sexual misconduct cases more efficiently,” he told a press conference after the programme today.
Also present were Johor State Education Director Mohd Hanafi Samad, Johor Bahru District Education Officer Saliman Selamat and SMK Mutiara Rini Principal Zanariah M. Yasin.
Azman revealed that the MoE recorded 6,528 bullying cases in 2022 through its ‘Student Behaviour Management System’ (SSDM), while 6,208 cases were reported as of October this year.
He said to combat the issue, the ministry has rolled out various proactive measures, including the ‘Bullying Complaint Portal’, which integrates the Public Complaint Management System (SISPAA), email, hotline, WhatsApp and on-site complaint boxes at schools.
“We have issued comprehensive circulars and guidelines outlining governance and procedures for addressing bullying and sexual misconduct cases.
“Various support activities have also been implemented to raise awareness and encourage prevention among students. The ‘Duta Sahsiah’ (Character Ambassadors) initiative is a prime example, where these role models promote positive values, discipline, integrity and responsibility,” Azman said.
He said schools are also encouraged to create a conducive ecosystem to attract students while ensuring all bullying and misconduct cases are reported to the ministry.
Earlier, four students from SMK Mutiara Rini — Cheng Kai Neng, Diong Chuan Xuan, Muhammad Hadif Imran Helmee and B. Shavithasri Nair — pledged their commitment as ‘Character Ambassadors’ to help peers avoid bullying and sexual misconduct.
“As a Character Ambassador, I’ve assisted bullied peers by inviting them to counselling sessions to discuss their issues. It’s my responsibility to ensure they feel protected and receive the attention needed to resolve their concerns,” said 17-year-old Cheng.
Last month, the MoE introduced the ‘Kit Duta Sahsiah’, an initiative to empower students selected as ambassadors. These ambassadors serve as positive role models, promoting noble values, discipline, integrity and responsibility to influence their peers positively.
