COMMENT | We get the message; the government will only react when the peace of the nation is threatened, and when the people have had enough.

Instead of continually listening to the rakyat, ministers appear to respond only when things have gotten to a head, when they then jump on the bandwagon and show mock concern.

So, will ministers only address the bullying epidemic in our schools when the death tally mounts and public protests dominate our streets?

On Aug 9, Sabahans in three towns took to the streets to demand justice for 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious in a drain, at the foot of her three-storey hostel. Allegations that she had been bullied had not been taken seriously by the authorities.

Although there have been other cases of bullying throughout Malaysia, Zara’s death touched the rakyat’s collective nerve, and they were prepared to defy the authorities and stage street protests.