Fragile Generation In Malaysia Causes Realities And The Way Forward

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RECENT remarks in Parliament by Sri Aman MP Doris Sophia Brodi have sparked nationwide reflection on Malaysia’s education system and its social outcomes.
She expressed concern over the “rising number of bullying and sexual offence cases involving students and teenagers” and described the youth as a “fragile generation”.
While the term may sound critical, it points to an uncomfortable reality—a generation growing up in a world of rapid technological change, social fragmentation, and moral uncertainty.
The fragility observed among youth today does not imply weakness in character, but rather reflects a systemic imbalance in how families, schools, and society nurture emotional strength and moral conviction.
“Fragile generation” essentially refers to youths who struggling to cope with correction, adversity, failure, displaying emotional sensitivity, anxiety, and dependence on external validation.
This shows a decline in resilience, self-discipline, moral awareness, experiencing disconnection from social responsibility and empathy.
This emotional fragility is evident in rising rates of bullying, school violence, sexual misconduct, mental health issues, and social apathy among adolescents in Malaysia.
Confronting the factors
(Image: Superprof)The national education system continues to prioritise examination success and rote learning over values education and character formation.
In the past, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim had noted that the system “focuses too heavily on academic knowledge while neglecting moral and ethical values”.
Such imbalance produces students who may perform well academically but lack resilience, empathy, and moral clarity.
There is an erosion of disciplinary boundaries which require fresh rethinking by the Education Ministry (MOE). While protecting children from abuse is essential, excessive restrictions on teachers’ disciplinary authority have created confusion and inconsistency.
Teachers, fearing backlash, often refrain from corrective action. This weakens the moral structure of the classroom and undermines respect for authority and boundaries.
At home, modern parenting often leans toward overprotection, rescuing children from the natural consequences of their behaviour. Parents who shield children from discomfort may unintentionally stunt the growth of responsibility and resilience.
Some parents also contradict teachers’ disciplinary actions, creating a moral conflict in children between home and school.
Social media, too, has reshaped how young people view identity, success, and self-worth. Continuous exposure to unrealistic online ideals fosters insecurity, impulsiveness, and comparison anxiety.
The digital space, often devoid of moral guidance, becomes a playground for bullying, voyeurism, and superficial validation.
Moral education in schools is often limited to theoretical lessons with little connection to lived experiences.
Without active engagement in practicing virtues such as honesty, empathy, and perseverance, students fail to internalise moral values as part of their identity with weak moral character.
The family unit is the foundation of moral and emotional strength which is the basic building blocks of society and nation. The family is the first and most enduring institution of education.
When family life is marked by love, respect, unity, and consistency, it forms the foundation for a child’s emotional stability and moral maturity.
However, Malaysia is witnessing increasing family fragmentation—rising divorce rates, single-parent stress, economic pressures, and reduced family communication due to digital distractions. These weaken the emotional scaffolding that children need to thrive.
Reassessing education
(Image: theSun)MOE must identify all the families where students have issues in schools thus strengthening the family unit to connect with the teachers and schools.
This will promote marital stability through premarital education, counselling, and family support systems.
To connect with parents encouraging them to have shared family time, open dialogue, and moral conversations at home. This require a short training programmes to be initiated by the parent teachers association.
There must an alignment of parental values with school principles, ensuring consistency in discipline and virtue formation.
The textbook will not give precise and specific solution but only through interaction which carries anxiety and doubts initially can be transformed into courage and faith to implement.
Education must be redefined to develop the whole person—intellectually capable, emotionally balanced, spiritually aware, and socially responsible. Schools should measure success not only by grades but also by growth in empathy, cooperation, and integrity.
Integrated virtue-based educational process must be initiated. Virtues such as truthfulness, justice, kindness, and perseverance must be woven into all subjects and daily routines.
There is a lack of empowering teachers as mentors with the advent of internet and technology which require fresh pedagogy.
Teachers must be re-empowered to act as mentors and moral guides while restorative discipline—focusing on reflection and reconciliation—should replace punitive or fear-based models. Teachers need support from both parents and school management to uphold consistent values.
The building of emotional and digital literacy is another area require attention.
Schools and parents must jointly teach emotional intelligence—skills such as empathy, mindfulness, and self-control. Digital literacy should include moral reflection and online ethics to prepare youth for responsible use of technology.
There must be a community-based mental health and social support. A strong network of counsellors, community leaders, and faith-based organisations can provide early support for youth facing emotional or behavioural issues.
Integrated referral pathways within local districts can ensure timely intervention before crises escalate.
Final note
The so-called “fragile generation” is not a sign of failure among youth but a mirror reflecting the fragility of modern social and family structures.
The responsibility lies with every level of society—the government, educators, parents, and communities—to rebuild environments that nurture resilience, moral conviction, and emotional balance.
Reforms must therefore address not only curriculum and discipline but also the renewal of family life and moral culture.
When homes are stable and teachers are empowered, virtues will guide learning. Malaysia will no longer lament a fragile generation but celebrate a generation of strength, compassion and unity, capable of carrying the nation into a just and harmonious future.
KT Maran
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed are solely of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of  MMKtT.
- Focus Malaysia.

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