KUCHING (Oct 15): The Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA) has expressed deep concern over the recent spate of violent incidents involving students, including the alleged gang rape case in Alor Gajah, Melaka, and the murder of a female student within a school compound in Bandar Utama.
It said the tragedies, though different in nature, share the same painful thread, a culture of bullying and violence that has taken root and is spreading unchecked in schools.
"Violence in schools is a national public health emergency. As paediatricians, we see its devastating consequences in our clinics and hospitals -- the anxiety, depression, trauma, and sometimes suicidal despair that follow," MPA said in a statement.
The association said these experiences not only derail young lives and disrupt education, but also inflict long-lasting harm on children's confidence, trust, and mental wellbeing, setting the stage for cycles of risk-taking, self-harm, and future violence.
While commending the swift response of the Ministry of Education (MoE) and the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) in handling the Melaka case, particularly the arrest of suspects, curbing the spread of harmful videos, and providing psychosocial support for affected students, MPA stressed that these steps alone are not enough.
"The stabbing in Bandar Utama, occurring just days apart, is a grim reminder that these are not isolated tragedies.
"They are symptoms of a deeper, systemic failure, of staff who are inadequately trained to recognise and respond to danger, of schools unequipped to manage mental health crises, and of an education culture that has not sufficiently instilled respect, empathy, and non-violence."
MPA stressed that every adult in a school setting, including teachers, wardens, administrators, and security personnel, must be equipped to recognise abuse and respond appropriately.
It also called for the establishment of confidential and trusted reporting systems, full-time counsellors and social workers in schools, and transparent disciplinary action, particularly in cases involving sexual offences or weapons.
"Above all, we must rebuild the moral foundation of our classrooms by teaching values of consent, empathy, equality, and respect from the earliest years," it said.
The association emphasised that classrooms should be safe spaces where children can learn and grow.
"A classroom should never be a crime scene. It should be a place of laughter, discovery, and belonging.
"When a parent sends a child to school, that child must return home safe: physically, emotionally, and psychologically," it added.