Malaysia Passes First-Ever Anti-Bullying Bill

By Danial Martinus • 04 Dec 2025 in News

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Malaysia has finally put real legal teeth behind the word “bullying”. In a long awaited move, the Dewan Rakyat has approved the Anti-Bullying Bill, which creates a legal mechanism to handle bullying cases. It’s a first for Malaysia.

Tabled by Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said, the bill was debated by 27 MPs from both sides of the aisle before passing its second and third readings.

A starting point

The recently passed bill isn’t a perfect solution; it’s more of a necessary starting point, according to Azalina.

“If we do not pass this bill, the only reference we have for bullying will continue to be mere guidelines,” she says.

And it’s about time. For years, teachers, parents, and PTAs have been left on their own to decipher vague rules when dealing with what’s often seen as an emotionally charged and deeply damaging issue. The way bullying is dealt with is extremely inconsistent, varying depending on the school.

For instance, one school might label a particular incident as bullying, while another might look at the same situation and go the other route, saying it isn’t bullying at all.

The bill aims to end that ambiguity by officially defining what bullying is and establishing an Anti-Bullying Tribunal to handle complaints. It applies to cases involving those under 18, covering both physical and online abuse. Even cases that occur outside school control will fall under the jurisdiction of the tribunal.

Victims of bullying may also receive compensation of up to RM250,000, sending a strong signal that the government is taking this issue rather seriously.

But it’s no surprise that this issue is being addressed pretty urgently. Since 2019, over 14,000 bullying cases have been reported on average every year in primary and secondary schools. Between August and October alone, police recorded 160 cases, with 78% of victims aged between six and 17 years old.

While the new law currently focuses on minors, Azalina confirmed the government’s intention to widen the bill’s scope in the future.

“God willing, for the Madani government, I stand here to give my commitment that we will assess the effectiveness of this bill for those under 18 and study its applicability for those 18 and above next year,” she says.

For now, the passing of the Anti-Bullying Bill marks a significant cultural and legal shift, taking things up a notch from awareness to accountability. This time, bullying can’t just be excused as “bad behaviour”, it’s a matter of law.