KUALA LUMPUR: Activists are urging for a more proactive response from the Education Ministry (MOE) regarding the recent bullying incident at a boarding school in Perak.
They were unhappy with the MOE for being tight-lipped about the incident.
Lawyer and activist Wan Azliana Wan Adnan criticised Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek for not addressing the issue more assertively.
"The bullying case had gone viral on social media a few days ago, but their side has issued no statement.
"This indicates Fadhlina's reluctance to handle such matters. What we want is a firm stance from the ministry on the issue of bullying.
"Just as other ministries have done when bullying issues are raised, their ministers have spoken firmly and assured cooperation in conducting a full investigation," she told the New Straits Times.
She said Fadhlina should make use of its exclusive authority to prevent bullying incidents from persisting, including through legal means.
"Although the case is still under police investigation, the ministry should be able to convey to the public that they are firm and there is no double standard in this matter," she said.
Meanwhile, Parent Action Group for Education (Page) chairperson, Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim called for a comprehensive investigation by the MOE to uncover the roots of the conflict.
"The ministry should go to the root of the problem and find out what initiated the fight.
"They then should refer to the circular to ensure that all steps were taken accordingly.
"If steps were taken, who was at fault? Then reprimand. There should not be any grey area," Noor Azimah stressed.
She said the school did not need to wait for the ministry to act on its behalf, as the school has autonomy.
"If dealt with according to the Standard Operation Procedure (SOP), including parental engagement on both sides, it can be resolved internally." she added.
Earlier today, MOE declined to comment on the recent alleged bullying case in a boarding school, citing ongoing police investigation.
On Oct 4, police launched an investigation into a bullying case involving a Form Four student, who was allegedly assaulted by his Form Five senior at Malay College Kuala Kangsar (MCKK) last month.
Kuala Kangsar district police chief Assistant Commissioner Omar Bakhtiar Yaacob confirmed that a report had been lodged over the incident at about 10am on Sept 24.
Previously, screenshots of a social media posting by a woman believed to be the sister of the victim went viral on social media.
Apart from sharing the predicament faced by the victim, the woman also vented her frustration over the 'light punishment' received by the students who had allegedly assaulted her brother.
The woman claimed the students, who allegedly assaulted her brother, only received between two and three strokes of the rotan.