She said once the Cabinet approved the policy framework, the next step would be to table the Anti-Bullying Bill following public engagement, Bernama reported.
Azalina said the bill would look into establishing a tribunal with quasi-judicial powers to handle bullying cases through a civil process, allowing for faster and more efficient resolution.
“The aim is for the institutional system to function independently, and the law will not interfere with existing disciplinary mechanisms in various institutions,” Bernama reported her as telling reporters after the anti-bullying tribunal town hall session in Kota Kinabalu.
She stressed that the tribunal would only handle civil cases, while bullying cases involving criminal elements would continue to fall under the jurisdiction of the police and criminal courts.
Citing an example, she said a previous bullying-related civil case took almost nine years to resolve through the courts, but under the tribunal system, similar matters could be settled within 60 to 90 days, similar to the sexual harassment tribunal under the women, family and community development ministry.
Earlier in her speech, Azalina said that the approach of establishing the tribunal was the best for both victims and perpetrators (bullies) as the tribunal process was faster and allowed for rehabilitation efforts, offering offenders a second chance.
She said Malaysia had strengthened its laws to curb bullying by amending the Penal Code (Sections 507A–507G) and enacting the Online Safety Act 2025.
However, she said laws alone were not sufficient, hence the legal affairs division is currently reviewing the Anti-Bullying Bill, including the establishment of a quasi-judicial tribunal for complaints involving vulnerable groups under the age of 18.
“Our approach is not merely to punish but also to educate and rehabilitate, in line with the Child Act 2001, which protects the confidentiality and legal aid rights of children without denying accountability for offences.
“Efforts to address bullying require a whole-of-government approach and community cooperation.
“Therefore, I encourage every Malaysian to take part in the public survey on the proposed drafting of the Anti-Bullying Bill 2025 on the PetaRI portal to share views, suggestions and ideas in finding a comprehensive solution to this issue.”