15/08/2025

FRIDAY | AUG 15, 2025

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‘Symbolic gestures not enough to tackle bully issues’

More than 82,000 immoral social media content removed KUALA LUMPUR: A total of 82,076 postings of immoral content on social media were taken down by platform providers between Jan 1, 2022 and July 1 this year following requests by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). The Communications Ministry, in a written reply to Muhammad Ismi Mat Taib (PN-Parit) posted on the Parliament website, said the removed content violated the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998 (Act 588) as well as other existing laws. Other action taken include the blocking of the Facebook page named Grup Budak-Budak Sekolah Rendah, which was found to contain elements that violated Section 233 of Act 588, including child sexual abuse material. In response to Muhammad Ismi’s question on the existence of immoral service offerings on social media apps, the ministry said the actions were part of joint anti-vice enforcement operations under Ops Pedo and Ops Noda, aimed at curbing the spread of inappropriate content on digital and social media platforms. The ministry clarified that content removals are subject to the assessment and discretion of social media platforms, based on their respective community guidelines and the application of relevant local laws. “In addition to social media filtering, the government, through MCMC, has also implemented blocks and restrictions on applications offering immoral services on platforms such as Google Play and Apple Store,” the reply stated. However, the ministry added that control over content on such platforms remains under the policies of their respective providers, which are foreign owned and operated outside Malaysia. During the same period, social media platforms also removed 37,845 postings of false information and 7,846 posts linked to 3R issues (race, religion and royalty) upon request by MCMC. In a separate response to Chong Zhemin (PH–Kampar), the ministry said the actions included the shutting down of politically driven troll accounts that manipulated information to provoke racial and religious tensions. “All actions are executed in accordance with existing legislation, regardless of an individual’s political affiliation or beliefs, to ensure that freedom of expression is not abused.” The ministry also confirmed that MCMC works closely with police in enforcing Act 588 and related laws.

Ű BY HARITH KAMAL newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Experts say move to chant ‘Kami Benci Buli’ in schools counterproductive, with need to address underlying causes and implement sustainable action to curb problem

psychological harm. “It may serve as a symbolic kickstart or a daily reminder, but chants alone rarely solve entrenched bullying problems or extreme individual behaviour,” she said. She warned that without strong messaging and proper systems to address or punish actual bullying, chants could even have unintended consequences. “There is a possibility that chants can turn into teasing or mockery, especially if not backed by strong measures,” she said. On whether repetitive chanting could cause “compassion fatigue” or desensitisation, she said it depends on how well the message is reinforced. Siti Khadijah stressed that anti-bullying efforts must address underlying causes such as family environment, peer influence and self-esteem rather than relying on public declarations. She called for stronger policies, accessible interventions for those showing early signs of bullying tendencies, clear reporting and handling procedures, and harsher consequences for offenders. The Education Ministry has yet to outline how chants will be integrated with other anti-bullying measures. compared with 44,991, resulting in a sex ratio of 108 males for every 100 females. “On average, one baby was born every minute, 43 babies every hour and 1,027 babies each day in the second quarter.” Selangor recorded the highest number of live births at 17,605, while the Federal Territory of Labuan recorded the lowest with 274. “Mothers aged 30 to 39 recorded the highest live births with 48,503, which is 51.9%, followed by mothers aged 20 to 29 years at 40.8%, 40 years and over at 5.6% and less than 20 years at 1.6%.“ A total of 48,408 deaths were recorded in the second quarter of the year, a decrease of 3% compared with 49,906 in the second quarter of 2024. Despite the decline in births, Malaysia’s population was estimated at 34.2 million in the second quarter, up from 34.1 million in the same period of 2024, reflecting a slower growth of 0.5% compared with 1.9% previously. – Bernama

PETALING JAYA: The Education Ministry directive for schools to recite daily chants of “Kami Benci Buli” (We Hate Bullying) has drawn mixed reactions from experts, who warn that symbolic gestures alone may not be enough to address the deep-rooted problem. Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia education expert Dr Anuar Ahmad described the move as reactive. “From an educational perspective, this is not effective. We’re not talking about chanting after a bullying incident and then forgetting about it. “Will these chants continue for years? If bullying is not managed properly, it will persist. Chanting is not a sustainable approach,” he said. Anuar added that chants may serve as an immediate, visible action but cannot replace comprehensive measures. He said weak enforcement and inconsistent monitoring often allow bullying to continue. “I prefer sustainable action that builds a culture in which students truly understand bullying is wrong, not just because of a chant,” he said. He recommended installing CCTVs at all schools, especially in

adults are ‘doing something’ while nothing changes. “Mandated moral messaging can provoke resistance, especially among older students,” she said. Instead of symbolic gestures, she urged schools to have clear playbooks for staff, students and parents, activate bystanders and embed routines to encourage intervention and ensure safe reporting systems with rapid response. She also called for targeted measures in boarding schools, such as audits, wardens and hotspot mapping, as well as coaching for staff to better detect and respond to bullying. University of Nottingham Malaysia associate professor Dr Siti Khadijah Zainal Badri said from a psychological perspective, chants have very limited effect in preventing or changing student behaviour, particularly in extreme cases causing serious physical or

hidden areas, hiring full-time wardens in hostels and creating a School Well-Being Index to track safety, student health and facilities. Malaysia could learn from Australia’s evidence-based approach, which combines clear rules, guidelines and modules to reduce bullying rates, he added. Parents Action Group for Education chairman Datin Noor Azimah Abdul Rahim agreed chants alone could be counterproductive. “A daily chant on its own won’t reduce bullying in a durable way. Done clumsily, it can trivialise the problem or trigger pushback,” she said. Noor Azimah added that slogans and pledges rarely work unless they are part of a whole school programme with trained staff, clear procedures and data tracking. “A rote call-and-response can become a joke, signalling that the

Number of births decrease in second quarter PUTRAJAYA: The number of live births in Malaysia fell by 7.1% to 93,435 in the second quarter, compared with 100,558 during the corresponding period last year, according to the Statistics Department Demographic Statistics report released yesterday.

Chief Statistician Datuk Seri Dr Mohd Uzir Mahidin said male babies continued to outnumber females, with 48,444 births

“Action may be taken against any individual under Section 233 of Act 588 for misusing applications or social media services to create and disseminate false or offensive content, with the intent to annoy, harass or harm others.” – Bernama RM42 billion disbursed to 1MDB for debt repayments: Ministry

Mohd Uzir said despite the decline in births, Malaysia’s population was estimated at 34.2 million in the second quarter of this year, up from 34.1 million in the same period last year. – BERNAMAPIC

KUALA LUMPUR: A total net fund of RM42.17 billion has been channeled to 1Malaysia Development Bhd (1MDB) to finance its debt repayments and meet its financial commitments as of July 31. The Finance Ministry said of the amount, RM15.44 billion came from the ministry’s fund and Minister of

“The present government is highly committed to continuing efforts to recover all misappropriated funds related to 1MDB and SRC, with the primary objective of maximising returns to settle debts and meet the commitments of 1MDB and SRC within the stipulated timeframe,” the ministry said. – Bernama

the return of assets linked to high profile cases such as 1MDB. The ministry said to date, 1MDB’s outstanding debt, comprising Islamic medium-term notes principal and interest payments up to 2039, amounts to RM9.02 billion – RM5 billion in principal amount and RM4.02 billion for interest.

for interest payments and company commitments,” the ministry said in a parliamentary reply on the Dewan Rakyat portal. This was in response to a query from Datuk Seri Dr Wan Azizah Wan Ismail (PH-Bandar Tun Razak), who wanted to know the amount of public funds recovered since 2022, including

Finance Inc, which was channeled in the form of shareholder advances or loans. The remaining RM26.73 billion was from funds resulting from 1MDB asset recovery. “Of the total, RM28.93 billion was used for 1MDB principal debt repayment while RM13.24 billion was