Kota Kinabalu: Srikandi Bersatu Sipitang Head Dayang Syafiqah Abdul Hamid wants an independent investigation carried out into the death of a teenager in Papar who is widely suspected to be a victim of bullying.
Syafiqah who is also a Sabah youth activist called for the setting up of a special task force involving the police, Attorney General's Department, Ministry of Education and non-governmental organisations to conduct a transparent investigation without protection for any party involved.
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“I express condolences to the family of Zara Qairina, a former SK Pantai Sipitang pupil,” she said in a statement.
"This should never happen in any educational institution.
"This is not an ordinary disciplinary issue. This is a crime and must be treated as such,” said Syafiqah who is also Sabah Imam Deputy Chairperson.
She urged the Government to expedite the drafting of comprehensive anti-bullying legislation that would define bullying in all its forms namely physical, verbal, emotional, cyber and power-based while establishing progressive punishments ranging from counselling to imprisonment.
She noted that currently, Malaysia lacks specific anti-bullying laws, with cases handled under various provisions including the Penal Code, Children Act 2001 and Education Act 1996. This legal gap, according to Syafiqah, causes many cases to not be taken seriously.
She also called for stricter school and hostel safety protocols, regular independent audits, mandatory training for educators and staff and the deployment of psychologists in every district.
"The time has come to stop the culture of silence and protecting perpetrators.
"Our education system should educate, not oppress,” she said.
The incident sparked various reactions and public concern, including allegations of bullying at the school with individuals sharing testimonies of parents whose children had previously attended the school.
One netizen claimed some parents decided to transfer their children to other schools because of the bullying incidents.
Among the disclosures was an allegation that the bullying incident was only discovered several months after it occurred and that the matter was reported to the school management.
However, that it was not pursued due to the victim’s inconsistent testimony caused by the trauma experienced.
In another post, a mother claimed that her child cried and shared the experiences they had while staying in the dormitory.
The allegations included being forced to sleep on the floor, receiving punishments, being ordered to wash senior students’ dishes and fetching water from the ground floor of the building.
The mother said her child was too scared to speak up to the wardens or their parents as they were worried about how the other students might react.
She said her child became more withdrawn and lost their usual spark every time they had to go back. This worried the family so much that they decided it was best to transfer the child to another school.
The same individual uploaded a screenshot of a message from the mother of the student involved, stating that she would not forgive those who caused suffering to her child.
