Malaysia enacted the Anti-Bullying Act 2026 on June 16, imposing parental joint liability for bullying acts committed by children, including financial penalties binding on families. Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said said, "Under this Act, we have included a clause on parental responsibility. As such, matters such as the payment of fines and related penalties will also be binding on the family" [1].

The Anti-Bullying Tribunal headquarters was simultaneously inaugurated at the Asian International Arbitration Centre (AIAC) in Kuala Lumpur. Authorities appointed 56 tribunal members nationwide to handle bullying cases [1].

This legislation and tribunal come amid recent bullying and school-related incidents in Malaysia. In Kuala Kangsar, a disciplinary confrontation occurred on June 15 at 7:50 a.m. involving a male discipline teacher and Form Five students refusing hair inspections at a secondary school [2]. Conflicting reports say that on June 11 the teacher was punched by students after cutting a student's hair; some sources place the punch during the June 15 incident [2, 3, 4]. The teacher reportedly lost his temper, and two students fled the school. Authorities are awaiting official education department reports before commenting further [2, 3, 4].

In Padang Besar, a 12-year-old girl has missed nearly four months of school after a female classmate pulled her chair on February 11, causing a fall and a lower back soft tissue injury [5, 6]. She was later diagnosed with functional neurological disorder and PTSD. Norasikin Hasin noted, "What saddened me most was a drawing depicting an individual standing at the edge of a high cliff facing the moon, which appeared to reflect the emotional distress she has been experiencing" [5].

Padang Besar police investigated the chair-pulling under Section 323 of the Penal Code and referred the case to the Deputy Public Prosecutor’s Office with possible Child Act charges. The Perlis Education Department said it would cooperate fully with police and take action if bullying is confirmed [7, 8].

Two unrelated deaths occurred in Sungai Kedah near Alor Setar on June 14. A 16-year-old boy with a learning disability, Saw Chee Wan, and a 46-year-old man with mental health issues, Muhammad Amin, were found drowned about 100 meters apart. No foul play was found, and police urged no speculation [9, 10, 11]. Kota Setar police chief ACP Syed Basri Syed Ali said, "I urge the public not to make any speculation regarding the discovery of the two male bodies" [9].

Earlier on June 13, a fire destroyed eight houses and a motorcycle in Kampung Seberang Alor, Kuala Perlis. No injuries were reported [12].

The Anti-Bullying Act 2026 and the newly established tribunal mark the latest official response to growing concerns about bullying and related school discipline issues across Malaysia [1].