He said the unit will comprise officers who have experience in dealing with bullying cases.

He was responding to a reporter who cited concerns raised regarding the effectiveness of the move to have the education ministry handle bullying cases directly.

Radzi said one of the biggest challenges parents faced when reporting cases of bullying, was the fear of retaliation against their children from the school.

“Which is why confidentiality is the most important aspect of the programme’s framework,” Radzi said at a press conference, following the launch of the Kuala Lumpur Badminton Association’s Jejak Juara badminton project.

He also revealed that the education ministry had received 19 complaints on bullying in schools since the portal was launched last Thursday.

The “Aduan Buli” portal, which can be accessed at www.moe.gov.my/aduanbuli, provides more information on how to submit a complaint.

It gives students, parents or guardians the option to make the complaint via a hotline (03-8884 9352), WhatsApp (014-8009325), email ([email protected]), or the ministry’s public complaints management system (Sispa).

On Aug 20, FMT published an article, in which child rights activist James Nayagam, questioned the effectiveness of the new reporting mechanism, under the education ministry, to tackle the problem of bullying in schools.

He said the ministry must ensure that those manning the hotline, were trained to handle calls from bullying victims and whistleblowers, adding that the ministry must also clearly state what it would do after receiving any report on bullying.

Nayagam, who has 40 years of experience in dealing with both victims and bullies, said he believed teachers and administrators were in a better position to help victims.

School staff, he said, could identify both victims and bullies, and provide counselling.