JOHOR BARU: The Education Ministry is appointing student ambassadors in schools to fight bullying and sexual harassment.
Director-general Azman Adnan said the "duta sahsiah" (integrity ambassadors) would act as bridges between students facing issues or victimisation and their teachers.
"Victims, especially those hesitant to report incidents to teachers, may find it easier to confide in peer ambassadors," he said at the launch of the programme, "Madani Leadership Movement: End Bullying and Sexual Misconduct", at SMK Mutiara Rini today.
The student ambassadors will foster a positive school ecosystem to encourage student engagement while curbing misconduct.
Azman described integrity ambassadors as exemplary students chosen for their values, integrity, and achievements in academics and co-curricular activities, serving as role models for their peers to emulate.
He said that while bullying and sexual misconduct cases involving students, both in and outside schools, were relatively low, the initiative was a proactive step to address these matters at the root.
The programme will see Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek, along with her deputy and senior ministry officials, conduct visits to schools nationwide to monitor the management of bullying and sexual misconduct cases.
He said this initiative, led by the ministry's top officials, underscored its commitment to eradicating bullying and sexual misconduct in schools.
He added that the visits signified the ministry's support of creating safer school environments.
"The ministry has issued comprehensive guidelines on managing bullying and sexual misconduct, and our aim is to ensure these guidelines are effectively implemented across all schools," he said.
Azman said under the "Sistem Sahsiah Diri Murid" or student identity system, it logged 6,528 bullying cases last year, compared with 3,883 in 2022.
As of October, this year, 6,208 cases were reported.
Sexual misconduct cases involving schoolchildren saw a 26.5 per cent increase, with 1,567 cases reported last year compared with 1,239 in 2022, based on police statistics.
"With over 5.2 million students nationwide, these numbers are small.
"However, even a small percentage demands decisive action to ensure we eliminate bullying and sexual harassment," Azman said.
He added the ministry introduced measures to report bullying and sexual harassment and misconduct platforms, including bullying complaint (aduan buli) and suggestion boxes in schools, enabling students to report the issues confidentially.
"We have issued detailed circulars and guidelines on how to handle and respond to complaints.
"Additionally, programmes to raise awareness on these issues are also being held in schools," he said.
Present at the launch were state Education director Mohd Hanafi Samad, Johor Baru Education officer Saliman Selamat, and SMK Mutiara Rini principal Zanariah M. Yasin.