Inspector-General of Police Khalid Ismail also said there was no need to station police officers permanently at schools, as the current system involving school liaison officers and regular patrols by the police was sufficient.
Khalid said schools remained safe given the scale of the nation’s education system and the cooperation between police and school authorities.
“The measures we’ve taken so far are adequate,” he said in a press conference here today.
“We have more than 10,000 schools, hundreds of thousands of students, and over 400,000 teachers.
“Some incidents happen beyond our control, but we’ll continue working with schools to prevent such cases in the future.”
He added that social media exposure and external influences might affect students’ behaviour, and urged parents and teachers to closely monitor children’s online activities.
A Form 4 student was stabbed to death by a junior at a school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya this morning.
The incident occurred at around 9.30am when the Form 2 male student, reportedly armed with a knife, attacked several schoolmates before stabbing the victim outside a classroom.
The victim died at the scene while the suspect was arrested. Police are still investigating the motive.
Separately, Khalid said the police would extend school visits to dormitories following a request from the education ministry’s director-general to create a stronger sense of safety among students.
“We’ve already provided standard operating procedures and appointed school liaison officers. Regular visits by our community safety teams to schools are ongoing.
“Following the education ministry’s request this morning, I’ve instructed all state and district police chiefs to extend these visits to dormitories so that our students feel safe both at school and in their hostels,” he said.
Khalid also reminded school authorities not to cover up cases of bullying or violence to protect the school’s image, stressing that early reporting was necessary for swift action.
“We want to make sure that any matter involving the safety of our children is reported. Teachers or hostel wardens should not try to conceal any incidents,” he said.
“It’s better to share information early so that we can resolve problems before they get worse, and so that parents are informed about what’s really happening.”