The government has been urged to provide solutions to the increasing cases of bullying.

Centre for Public Policy Studies chairperson Ramon Navaratnam questioned what the government was doing in relation to the rampant cases of bullying happening in the country.

"Parents and grandparents are becoming extremely worried and anxious about the bullying taking place. It is widespread.

"They are deeply concerned that the government does not seem to come out with any solutions," said Ramon to Malaysiakini.

As such, Ramon, who is also director of the Asian Strategy and Leadership Institute (Asli) called on the education ministry to table a white paper in Parliament to explain the problem of bullying.

Relevant stakeholders - parents, teachers and even students, as well as the public and the police - must be consulted in the matter, he stressed.

"They must come out with some immediate short and long-term solutions.

"Unless some action is taken quickly and there are some comments on how to solve the problem from the ministry, people will lose confidence in the government and education ministry, and there will be fear and doubts as to the capacity of the government to govern," he added.

Ramon's call comes after public anger following the death of Navy cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain and teenager T Nhaveen who were victims of bullying.

Zulfarhan, 21, died on June 1 with torture and burn marks believed to be from a steam iron, while Nhaveen, 18, was savagely beaten by a group of teenagers and declared brain dead before passing away last Thursday.