“I never imagined that such a tragedy could happen in Malaysia, more so in Selangor. I could only think of the families of these students. I feel deeply for the family of the deceased,” he said.
Speaking in an interview with Bernama in conjunction with his 80th birthday, Sultan Sharafuddin said he had given deep thought to what happened.
“I have listened to many views. One thing is certain, we cannot ignore this. I pray it won’t happen ever again, anywhere.
“It is more than just a disciplinary problem – it is about values, environment and digital influence.
“Malaysians are quick to blame other people. Teachers are blamed, the education minister is blamed, the ministry is blamed. We blamed everyone except ourselves as parents.
“We have no idea what kind of games these minors are playing online. Is the content violent in nature? Do they promote forbidden content?
“We expect teachers to be surrogate parents after the children are dropped off at the school gates,” he said.
Sultan Sharafuddin also said the problem would grow in the absence of support, when families are too busy to connect, when schools focus more on grades than emotional wellbeing, and when online platforms become a child’s primary source of social activities.
He called for greater digital literacy, not just in schools, but for parents as well.
“Know what your kids are doing. Please take a more active role to talk to your children. They have become more connected online than ever, but increasingly disconnected from empathy,” Sultan Sharafuddin said.
He also said he was happy that the government was moving to prohibit children under the age of 16 from accessing social media, calling it a step in the right direction.
He urged the government to emulate the move by Denmark, which introduced educational initiatives that emphasise social and emotional learning as a core component of the national curriculum, most notably through a mandatory weekly class dedicated to developing empathy and respect.
Since 1993, children at Danish public schools, from ages six to 16, have been required to take part in the weekly “klassens tid” or class time.
“Such initiatives are important. It is not good enough to simply punish. Children must learn to respect people of other faiths and races, for example. Laws alone are not sufficient.
“We must instil the importance of values, tolerance and respect in our children,” Sultan Sharafuddin added.