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KUALA LUMPUR (25 JULY 2025) – SUHAKAM expresses deep concern over the recent spate of bullying cases reported in schools across the country, calling it a ““systemic crisis of child safety” that requires immediate intervention nationwide. The Children’s Commissioner (CC) of the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM), Dr Farah Nini Dusuki, emphasises that school must be the safest place for every child. But recent cases paint a worrying picture of fear, isolation, and violence. These disturbing incidents underscore the urgent need for comprehensive and sustained action to ensure that schools remain safe and nurturing environments for all children.

In just the past week, three serious bullying cases have been reported:

1. On 18 July 2025, a Form 1 female student in Sabah was reported to have jumped from the third floor of her school building, allegedly due to bullying by her peers.
2. On 20 July 2025, in Sungai Petani, Kedah, another Form 1 female student was found tied up in a school toilet. Two 13-year-old students were detained to assist in the investigation.
3. Most recently, on 22 July 2025, a Form 3 male student sustained serious eye injuries after being punched by fellow students.

The Office of the Children’s Commissioner (OCC) has contacted the Ministry of Education (MOE) to verify whether these cases were being monitored by the relevant authorities. The OCC was informed that the MOE is aware of the incidents and is taking steps to enhance intervention programmes to address bullying at a nationwide level.

While the CC welcomes these efforts, the CC urges the MOE to take more concrete and immediate action. In reviewing the MOE’s Guidelines for Handling Bullying in Schools (launched in 2023), the CC notes provisions requiring engagement between the parents of the bully and the victim. However, the CC questions whether such engagements are being carried out effectively and consistently, and whether proper follow-up is being conducted to ensure accountability and behavioural change.

Furthermore, the Guidelines stipulate the appointment of an investigative teacher for reported cases. The CC raises concerns about whether these teachers are adequately trained to carry out such responsibilities, and whether the current system includes any mechanism for monitoring or oversight. Where bullying has been reported, schools must proactively conduct regular monitoring, especially in high-risk areas such as dormitories, assembly halls, and prefect rooms.

The CC believes that the current mechanisms in place are insufficient. The growing number of cases reflects systemic gaps. According to the MOE’s Sistem Sahsiah Diri Murid, reported school bullying incidents increased from 3,887 cases in 2022 to 5,891 cases in 2023. By October 2024, the figure had already reached 5,703 cases, involving a total of 11,594 students.

The CC calls for urgent and coordinated action from all stakeholders, particularly the MOE. Schools must prioritise student safety and ensure all complaints of bullying are addressed promptly and effectively. At the same time, parents have a critical role in identifying signs of bullying and reporting such incidents to both the school and the authorities. Parents must reject the outdated notion that bullying is a “rite of passage” to build resilience and instead cultivate open and supportive communication with their children.

The CC reiterates that every child has the right to feel safe at school. It is the collective duty of educators, parents, authorities, and the wider community to ensure that this right is fully upheld.

-END-

Dr Farah Nini Dusuki
Children’s Commissioner
The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) 

Date: 25 July 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (23 JUN 2025) – Pesuruhjaya Kanak-Kanak (PK) Suruhanjaya Hak Asasi Manusia Malaysia (SUHAKAM), memandang serius penyebaran kandungan melibatkan kanak-kanak perempuan oleh sebuah laman Facebook bertajuk ‘Grup Budak-budak Sekolah Rendah’, yang kemudiannya mencetuskan komen-komen berunsur seksual dan lucah oleh pengguna media sosial. Tindakan tersebut bukan sahaja tidak bermoral, tetapi boleh disifatkan sebagai satu bentuk eksploitasi kanak-kanak di ruang digital.

PK memuji tindakan pempengaruh media sosial, Wee Yun Nee atau Mekyun, yang telah membuat laporan polis bagi menuntut siasatan terhadap komen-komen yang menjijikkan dan berunsur gangguan seksual terhadap kanak-kanak. Tindakan ini wajar dijadikan contoh tanggungjawab sivik dalam menangani jenayah seksual dalam talian.

PK ingin menegaskan bahawa kanak-kanak berhak untuk hidup dan berkembang dalam persekitaran yang selamat, termasuk di alam maya. Sebagaimana termaktub dalam Konvensyen Mengenai Hak Kanak-Kanak Pertubuhan Bangsa-Bangsa Bersatu (UNCRC), khususnya Artikel 34, negara wajib melindungi kanak-kanak daripada semua bentuk eksploitasi seksual dan penderaan seksual. Ini termasuk langkah-langkah yang sewajarnya untuk mencegah seorang kanak-kanak untuk mengambil bahagian atau diperguna secara paksa dalam sebarang aktiviti seksual, mengeksploitasi kanak-kanak untuk pelacuran atau amalan seksual lain, serta eksploitasi kanak-kanak dalam bahan lucah atau pornografi. Malaysia sebagai parti kepada UNCRC mempunyai obligasi moral dan undang-undang untuk memastikan bahawa sebarang bentuk eksploitasi seksual terhadap kanak-kanak, termasuk di alam maya, dicegah dan ditangani secara tegas.

Pendedahan kanak-kanak kepada kandungan atau komen yang menjurus kepada seksualisasi adalah pelanggaran serius terhadap hak asasi mereka, dan boleh disiasat di bawah:

•           Seksyen 10, Akta Kesalahan-Kesalahan Seksual Terhadap Kanak-Kanak 2017, berkenaan mengakses bahan penganiayaan seksual kanak-kanak, yang mana pelaku boleh dipenjarakan selama tempoh tidak melebihi lima tahun atau didenda tidak melebihi sepuluh ribu ringgit atau kedua-duanya;

•           Seksyen 211, Akta Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia 1998, berkaitan larangan terhadap pemberian kandungan jelik, yang mana pelaku boleh didenda tidak melebihi lima puluh ribu ringgit atau dipenjarakan selama tempoh tidak melebihi satu tahun atau kedua-duanya sekali; dan

•           Seksyen 292, Kanun Keseksaan, bagi kesalahan penyebaran kandungan lucah, yang mana pelaku boleh dihukum dengan pemenjaraan selama tempoh yang boleh sampai tiga tahun atau dengan denda atau dengan kedua-duanya sekali.

Oleh itu, PK menggesa Polis Diraja Malaysia (PDRM) untuk menjalankan siasatan terperinci terhadap semua pihak yang terbabit, termasuk pentadbir laman Facebook tersebut dan pengguna yang telah memberikan komen-komen bersifat gangguan seksual terhadap kanak-kanak.

PK turut menyeru Suruhanjaya Komunikasi dan Multimedia Malaysia (SKMM) untuk bertindak lebih tegas dan proaktif dalam memantau, menyekat serta mengambil tindakan ke atas akaun dan kandungan yang menyumbang kepada budaya seksualisasi kanak-kanak. SKKM juga hendaklah menguatkuasakan Akta Keselamatan Dalam Talian 2025 terhadap pemberi perkhidmatan aplikasi, dalam kes ini, iaitu, Facebook (“Pemberi Perkhidmatan”), supaya Pemberi Perkhidmatan mewujudkan mekanisme untuk melindungi keselamatan dalam talian pengguna kanak-kanak supaya apa-apa kandungan berupa bahan penganiayaan seksual kanak-kanak tidak dapat diakses oleh penggunanya.

Akhir sekali, PK CC mengingatkan bahawa perlindungan terhadap kanak-kanak termasuk di alam maya merupakan suatu tanggungjawab kolektif. Ibu bapa, pendidik, pengendali platform digital, pembuat dasar dan masyarakat keseluruhan perlu berganding bahu memastikan ruang digital negara ini bebas daripada eksploitasi, gangguan, dan penyalahgunaan terhadap kanak-kanak. Semua pihak digesa untuk lebih peka dan bertindak segera apabila berhadapan dengan kandungan yang mencurigakan atau berpotensi menjatuhkan maruah kanak-kanak.

-TAMAT-

Dr Farah Nini Dusuki

Pesuruhjaya Kanak Kanak

23 JUN 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (18 JUNE 2025) The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) remains deeply concerned over the unresolved issues surrounding the death of Teoh Beng Hock, who died while in the custody of the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission (MACC) on 16 July 2009. In particular, the Attorney General’s decision to classify the case as “NFA” (“No further Action”). 

Teoh was found dead on July 16 2009 after falling from the fifth floor of Plaza Masalam in Shah Alam, after being questioned overnight for several hours by officers at the Selangor Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission headquarters.

Article 5(1) of the Federal Constitution guarantees that “No person shall be deprived of his life or personal liberty save in accordance with the law.” This constitutional provision enshrines the fundamental right to life and liberty and obliges the State and its agencies to ensure that this right is always protected, particularly, when an individual is under the care or custody of the State.

In 2014, the Court of Appeal unanimously overturned the Coroner’s Court’s open verdict, concluding that Teoh Beng Hock’s death was not due to suicide. The judgment clearly stated that “a person or persons were responsible for his death.”  However, and unfortunately, despite the Court of Appeals clear ruling over a decade ago, no known criminal prosecution or disciplinary action has taken place, highlighting a serious gap in enforcement and institutional accountability. 

More than 16 years after the tragic incident, justice for Teoh Beng Hock and his family remains elusive. SUHAKAM reiterates that the right to life under Article 5 not only protects individuals from arbitrary deprivation of life but also imposes a positive obligation on the State to investigate all custodial deaths thoroughly, independently, and effectively and to hold perpetrators accountable. Failure to do so constitutes a violation of both domestic constitutional obligations and Malaysia’s international human rights commitments. 

SUHAKAM stands in solidarity with the family of Teoh Beng Hock and other parties who are demanding accountability and transparency. We earnestly call upon the AGC and PDRM to review their “NFA” decision and to take the necessary criminal proceedings against the officers responsible for Teoh Beng Hock’s death. In the event that the AGC and PDRM were still to insist that this is a case for NFA, then, good governance mandates that they must be transparent and must disclose the full details of the police investigation and explain why the MACC officers implicated in the case have not been held accountable. Teoh Beng Hock’s tragic and untimely death remains a stark reminder of the critical need to uphold human rights, the rule of law, and institutional accountability in Malaysia.

In this regard, SUHAKAM recalls the Méndez Principles on Effective Interviewing for Investigations and Information Gathering, which emphasise non-coercive, science-based, and rights-compliant methods of questioning. The Mendez Principles reject the use of intimidation or coercion during interrogations and stress the importance of procedural safeguards, such as access to legal counsel, the right to remain silent, and audio-visual recording of interviews. Adopting these standards is essential to prevent abuses and ensure the dignity and safety of all individuals in custody.

SUHAKAM strongly urges the Government to take the long-overdue step of acceding to the United Nations Convention Against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment (CAT), as a clear manifestation of Malaysia’s commitment to ending torture, upholding human dignity, and strengthening institutional integrity.

-END-

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)

Date: 18 JUNE 2025

KUALA LUMPUR (13 JUNE 2025) – The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) views with grave concern the recent incident involving the imposition of a travel ban on activist Fahmi Reza. The imposition was without prior notice, legal basis or adequate justification. Such action constitutes a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of movement as enshrined in Article 9 of the Federal Constitution and raises serious questions about compliance with due process and the principles of natural justice. The absence of clear legal procedures and transparency in the enforcement of travel restrictions represents a significant encroachment upon civil liberties and sets a troubling precedent for arbitrary state action. 

Although both the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) and the Director-General of Immigration have since clarified that there was no official international travel restriction imposed on Fahmi Reza, the fact that he was barred from leaving the country highlights serious flaws in the communication mechanism between these two enforcement agencies. It is unsettling that until today neither of these Departments has publicly apologised to Fahmi Reza. 

This incident reflects the pressing need for improved coordination among enforcement agencies, particularly between the police and immigration departments. The lack in clarity of communication between these agencies often results in miscommunication, confusion and injustice. SUHAKAM recommends the establishment of a clear, streamlined information-sharing protocol to enable timely and transparent decisions that uphold the constitutional and legal rights of individuals. The law must never be arbitrary or oppressive in nature.

However, a more important concern is that the imposition of travel bans without due process contravenes the right to freedom of movement, a human and fundamental right firmly protected under both our Federal Constitution and international law. 

Bearing in mind Fahmi Reza’s activities as a cartoonist and satirist, this brings us to another crucial issue. Article 10 guarantees the right to freedom of speech and expression. As a cartoonist and satirist, Fahmi Reza has been a human rights activist exercising his political views through artistic expressions as well as through satirical form of expressions. Such activities are protected by the Constitution and must be respected in a democratic society that upholds the Rule of Law. 

Article 13(2) of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights affirms that “Everyone has the right to leave any country, including his own and to return to his country”. Travel restrictions must therefore be imposed proportionately within a constitutional and legal framework and individuals subjected to such bans must be promptly informed, given the opportunity to challenge the decision and provided access to an independent review mechanism.  Travel restrictions that are seemingly linked to his political expressions may therefore constitute an unlawful limitation of his constitutional and human rights.

Fahmi Reza’s unfortunate incident must serve as a critical reminder of the importance of respecting and safeguarding fundamental liberties through clear procedures, accountable governance, and a steadfast commitment to human dignity. Such incident is not in consonance with good governance.

-END-

The Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM)
Date: 13 June 2025