Stop Trying To Mediate Bullying Cases Syed Saddiq Tells Police

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PARLIAMENT | An opposition MP today called out the police for trying to mediate bullying cases instead of investigating incidents reported to them.
Speaking at the Dewan Rakyat, Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman (Muda-Muar) told Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to stop such practice, saying it would only perpetuate the bully culture.
He cited a recent case in Johor, where a mother claimed that police officers refused to launch an investigation into her son's bullying case.
"I’m worried because sometimes, the police would try to mediate bullying cases. In this case, the victim was even hospitalised.
"The police should have launched a probe and taken action immediately. But in this case, they are only taking action after the case has gone viral.
"My concern is that there could be tens of thousands of youths out there who fell victim to bullying, but the police refuse to take action because their case did not go viral.
"This is not the time to play mediator, because doing so would only normalise bullying," Syed Saddiq said when interjecting Saifuddin, who was delivering his winding-up speech on the 13th Malaysia Plan proposal.
In response, the minister welcomed Syed Saddiq's opinion, saying they appreciate all views, especially those that can help towards improvement.
Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution IsmailSaifuddin said he will contact the Johor police to get all the facts on the case he cited so he can provide a better explanation.
Bullying case in Johor
It was reported that a 10-year-old boy, who also suffered from nose cancer, had to be hospitalised in March after an older boy bullied him.
The purported bully is accused of thrashing the victim, including hitting him in the head, as well as forcing the boy to strip naked.
It was alleged that the attack was in retaliation after the 10-year-old boy’s sister rejected romantic advances by the accused bully.
His mother, Siti Suhana Misdi, then lodged a police report but claimed that officers refused to launch an investigation and only mediated by getting the alleged bully’s family to meet her.
"To this day, I am not satisfied because the impact on my son is severe," Siti Suhana was quoted as saying.
- Mkini

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