SHAH ALAM - A coalition of non-profit organisations (NGOs), students and parents under the banner Sekretariat Sekolah Selamat (SSS) has urged the government to take immediate action to address what they describe as a "school safety crisis" in Malaysia.
The group has given Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek 30 days to implement 11 key reforms or face calls for her resignation.
A peaceful march to Parliament today saw 30 representatives including parents, students and activists; gather to deliver a memorandum demanding sweeping education reforms following a series of violent and distressing incidents in schools nationwide.
Among the coalition’s central calls was the integration of mental wellbeing and emotional intelligence education into the national curriculum.
Activist Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, speaking on behalf of SSS said the subject must be made compulsory from Year One to Form Five, covering essential topics such as empathy, stress management, bullying prevention and conflict resolution.
"Schools must educate well-rounded human beings, not just produce exam-taking machines.
"The ministry must translate today’s promises into policies that protect every child’s right to feel safe, learn and grow with dignity," she said outside Parliament.
Demands for safer schools
The memorandum, received by Fadhlina, outlined 11 comprehensive demands that the coalition believed were essential to safeguard students’ wellbeing. Among them were:
- The enactment of a National Anti-Bullying Act mandating transparent reporting and prevention programmes.
- A specific law to combat sexual harassment in schools, including background checks for all individuals involved in school activities and direct reporting to authorities.
- Improved mental health and psychosocial support systems, including a better counsellor-to-student ratio and regular mental health assessments.
- Annual safety audits and the formation of school safety committees to oversee implementation at every level.
- The creation of a Safe Schools Commission under Parliament to monitor, advise and issue annual public reports on bullying, harassment and mental health incidents.
The group also called for comprehensive sex education based on international standards and child rights, emphasising the importance of consent, personal boundaries and emotional literacy.
The memorandum further suggested that parents should be included through workshops and family modules to ensure alignment between family values and child protection principles.
Other recommendations included confidential, child-friendly reporting mechanisms and the enactment of dedicated legislation to ensure mandatory reporting of harassment and sexual assault cases.
Ain said if the Education Minister failed to announce a concrete action plan or implement the proposed measures within 30 days, the coalition will launch a national campaign to advocate for comprehensive education reforms.
She added that calls for the minister’s resignation would follow if the ministry continued to fail in protecting students.
Among those present at the event was Machang MP Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal, who voiced disappointment over what he described as the Madani government’s lack of urgency in addressing school safety concerns.
"I am confident that even the government backbenchers will join us in calling for a discussion between the government, opposition and all Malaysians," he said after receiving a copy of the memorandum from the NGOs.
He also pledged to push for a special parliamentary session to debate and address the ongoing safety crisis in schools.
The SSS coalition included several NGOs such as Mandiri, Pocket of Pink, Himpunan Advokasi Rakyat Malaysia, Projek Ruanglawan and Liga Mahasiswa Malaysia.