'Incentive' for zero-bullying deeply flawed, says MCA leader

Summary

• MCA Young Women’s wing chairperson Ivone Low criticises Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek’s suggestion to provide a special incentive to a school if it manages to report zero bullying cases.

• Low says the idea would bring harm if implemented, as school administrators may be driven to conceal or reject genuine reports.

An MCA leader criticised Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek’s suggestion to provide a special incentive to a school if it manages to report zero bullying cases.

MCA Young Women’s wing chairperson Ivone Low described the idea as a flawed proposal which would bring harm when implemented.

“Such a policy inadvertently drives school principals, senior staff, and teachers to conceal, ignore, or reject genuine reports of bullying to portray safety.

“Bullies will be emboldened, and victims will be discouraged from coming forward, fearing retaliation.

“Incentivising the absence of recorded cases does not reflect the absence of bullying itself. Instead, it propels silence, fear, and institutional denial,” she said in a statement today.

Fadhlina appeared to have made the suggestion during a visit to SMK Doktor Burhanuddin in Taiping, Perak, on Aug 17.

After making a contribution of RM100,000 to upgrade the school’s infrastructure and for maintenance, the minister stressed the need to eradicate bullying.

“The scourge of bullying must be eradicated. It must be a top key performance index for school administrators.

“I promise to give this school a special incentive if it succeeds in having zero bullying cases,” Fadhlina said on Facebook.

Optics over solutions

Referring to the idea as bewildering, Low said the Education Ministry risks turning a blind eye to real abuses while breeding a culture that values optics over solutions.

The MCA leader reminded Fadhlina that bullying cases are often hidden due to stigma, trauma, or mistrust in school authorities.

“Are we to expect more fatuous policies next? Rewards for zero reports of sexual harassment, or hiding inappropriate touches and conduct by paedophile educators toward minors?

“These would be grotesque distortions of responsibility, undermining the moral fabric of school governance,” she added.

Low then proposed that the ministry embark on several measures to eradicate bullying in schools:

• Prioritise transparent and accurate reporting of bullying cases, regardless of severity or the status of the perpetrator, to ensure early intervention and real accountability.

• Encourage confidential reporting, with robust protection for victims to prevent retaliation and shame.

• Establish anonymous hotlines and digital platforms for safe, discreet reporting by students, parents, guardians, and staff.

• Train teachers, counsellors, and staff to recognise and respond to physical, emotional, and cyberbullying.

• Request increased Budget 2026 allocation to:

1. Install high-definition CCTV cameras, especially in blind spots such as stairwells, corridors, store rooms, back fields, and unused classrooms;

2. Provide more counsellors and mental health professionals in schools.

• Compel school authorities to report suspected physical assault, bullying, and sexual harassment cases to the police and online bullying cases to MCMC, similar to medical doctors being mandated to report suspected child abuse cases to the police.

• Implement the “You Touch, You Go” principle, as adopted by Mara chairperson Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki, whereby any physical assault or sexual misconduct results in immediate expulsion or legal action. This signals zero tolerance without ambiguity.

• Foster peer support systems and student-led anti-bullying programmes.

• Engage parents and communities through awareness campaigns and town halls to strengthen societal resolve.

Low stressed that schools should prioritise integrity, safety, and truth - adding a culture of silence represents complicity, not progress.

“And the education minister needs to stop chasing clean statistics at the cost of student well-being.”

On Aug 16, former economy minister Rafizi Ramli chided Fadhlina’s alleged response whenever he brought up bullying cases in schools during cabinet meetings.

The Pandan MP said he repeatedly raised the issue within the past year.

“But Fadhlina’s response was just like that - we are all good, we have everything,” he added.

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