Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim said one of the proposed measures is a ban on the use of smartphones by students under the age of 16.

“We’ve seen how social media and online games can influence behaviour, sometimes even leading to criminal acts.

“So we will move towards prohibiting the use of smartphones among students aged 16 and below.

“The proposal is still being studied, but many countries have already implemented similar measures,” he said after performing Friday prayers at Surau Jannatul Firdaus, PPAM Seruling, here.

Anwar also emphasised the need to strengthen value-based and moral education, with active involvement from parents and parent-teacher associations to enhance students’ overall wellbeing.

“Education minister Fadhlina Sidek will provide further details. I hope principals, teachers and parents will give their full cooperation,” he said.

At the same time, Anwar reminded school heads not to cover up student misconduct for the sake of protecting the school’s image.

“Often, headmasters prioritise protecting the school’s image. While students are fighting and causing trouble, they’re more concerned about how the school looks.

“That’s why we must stress accountability.

“If such cases are covered up, it should be considered an offence as they are essentially protecting criminal activity.

“Sometimes, they think bullying cases are minor.

“I’ve heard this myself when meeting students during Friday prayers. They say the bullying isn’t serious, so it’s brushed off.

“But small cases, if ignored, will eventually lead to bigger ones,” he said.