High Time for an Anti-Bullying Act

https://www.malaysianow.com/opinion/2021/06/15/high-time-for-an-anti-bullying-act/

T Nhaveen’s unfortunate passing four years ago due to bullying must not be in vain and we should all take this opportunity to stand up against bullying, whether in school, workplace, or in cyberspace. It affects people of all ages but especially the young, vulnerable and different.

According to the Education Minister, Datuk Mohd. Radzi bin Md. Jidin, the number of cases lodged against bullying from January 2020 – September 2020 amounted to 0.04% of the total number of about 4.8 million students in both primary and secondary schools, as compared to 0.12% the previous year. The years 2016 – 2018 recorded 0.07%, 0.06% and 0.09% respectively.

Malaysia has not enacted any legislation yet to curb bullying and it is high-time the policymakers look seriously into drafting the Anti-Bullying Act to prevent bullying and unnecessary juvenile deaths in the future. Currently, the Penal Code (Act 574) and Child Act 2001 (Act 611) are inadequate to protect children and adults alike from being bullied and discriminated against.

I have personally come across people who were bullied on the social media to the extend where it affected her reputation at work and she fell into a depression. There are many other similar cases and we do not need for another bad incident like Nhaveen’s case to remind us what needs to be done.

The Penang Chapter of COMWEL hopes that all MPs will be supportive of the Anti-Bullying Act as there must be legislative action to prevent bullies from the damage they inflict on their victims. As psychologists will attest to, bullying affects a person’s self-esteem and young victims are too intimidated to inform their parents or teachers about the trouble they are in. Although public awareness is equally essential, the country still needs an Anti-Bullying Act.

Carolyn Khor

Head of Penang Chapter

Chief Secretariat for COMWEL

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words

Hello Kitty proves action speaks louder than words Hello Kitty does not have a mouth. She speaks with her heart. Worldwide novelty ‘Hello Kitty’ had Singaporeans queuing up and tussling over a limited edition toy kitten dressed in skeleton outfit from a German fairy tale known as ‘The Singing Bones’. McDonald’s Singapore sold the toy, as the last in a series of six, which began early June. The last frenzy was Hello Kitty dressed in wedding attire in 2000. Despite having stocked up on 40% more on collectible Hello Kitty toys this year and limiting each customer to only 4 toys each, McDonald’s claim that the response for the Fairy Tale series had been overwhelming. The fast-food chain announced last Thursday that the iconic toy had been sold out, much to the disappointment and frustration of many enthusiastic collectors who braved the haze in an attempt to get their hands on the plush toy. Singapore wasn't the only country bogged by this phenomenon. Malaysia a

Living in the Now

The word "now" might seem to have an impatient connotation to it. However, being present in the now requires simply a state of mind that is calm, aligned and aware of the present circumstances. As Julian Barbour said, "Time is a series of nows". The concept of being here in the present can be easily understood by filling a drinking straw with water and then keeping the water in the straw by closing off one of the ends with a finger. When we release our finger which acts as a valve, water then flows out of the straw. It takes time for the water to flow out of the straw, from the top to the bottom. From this experiment, we can experience the "now" that happened in the past, the "now" in the present, and the "now" in the future. However, while the water is still in the straw, time becomes still, happening all at once - the past, present and future, simultaneously. Focusing on the now is relevant to many areas of our lives. For

Booming back-to-nature business in Pekan

A scenic view of the Pahang River from onboard floating raft houses is not only what Rumah Rakit Maraie offers locals and tourists at Kampung Padang Rumbia in Pekan. The “back-to-nature” hotspot also boasts a floating restaurant and a shark catfish farm, known locally as “ikan patin”. Despite its name, the shark catfish is not a shark and is a species of catfish native to the rivers in Southeast Asia. Mohammad Haniff Mohd Rasli, 38, quit his job as a civil servant in Penang to help grow his family business in his village at Kampung Padang Rumbia in Pekan three years ago. He decided to grow his father’s business and at the same time, help the small businesses in his village grow their income. Haniff was formally a radiographer at the Advance Medical Dental Institute (USM) at Bertam, Kepala Batas, Penang, from 2007 until 2021. “I went back to Pekan during Covid-19 to help my father with his business which he started in 2017. After that, I quit my job and have never looked

Carolyn Khor's blog

Search This Blog