KUALA LUMPUR: The Cabinet will have to decide whether to extend the Anti-Bullying Tribunal's jurisdiction to those above 18, including university students, says Minister in the Prime Minister's Department (Law and Institutional Reform) Datuk Seri Azalina Othman Said.
She said the government had yet to take a position on the matter, with the tribunal currently serving as an intervention mechanism for school-going children.
"What happens at this stage, I know a lot of you ask, 'Okay, what happens when you're above 18? What happens to universities?'
"That one we have to bring with the ministry involved, what is their position?
"And is the Cabinet going to look into above 18 or not?" she told reporters at a press conference held in conjunction with the Anti-Bullying Act 2026 Literacy Programme at the Malaysian Teacher Education Institute's Malay Language Campus today.
She said teenagers aged between 13 and 17 became more aware of their rights as they grew older, adding that there were many factors to consider.
"So Cabinet has to look into it if it is being brought up. But for now, we have not said anything yet," she said.
Azalina said there was a general assumption that those above 18 could take care of themselves.
"Above 18, the presumption is usually okay. But again, young people are young people, right?" she said.
She likened the tribunal to the Sexual Harassment Tribunal, saying its primary purpose was to act as a deterrent.
Asked whether a case involving the same perpetrator and victim would return to the tribunal or go to court if the bullying recurred, Azalina said it would depend on the tribunal's assessment of the circumstances of each case.
"Some they will reject, some they will accept," she said.
She said schools already had their own mechanisms to address bullying, with the tribunal serving as an alternative for parties who did not seek mediation through the Education Ministry.
"This is like an alternate dispute resolution mechanism that we're allowing the tribunal to participate," she said, adding that the perpetrator and victim could choose how they wished to proceed.
Azalina said the tribunal considered both the victim and the perpetrator when making its decisions.
"When the award is issued, they also will add in certain assistance on emotional challenges and all that. So it's not just going to look at damages or punishment," she said.
The Anti-Bullying Act 2026 came into force on June 16, alongside the launch of the tribunal, which currently covers those aged 18 and below.
The tribunal has received 61 complaints involving primary and secondary school pupils since its establishment, with physical bullying accounting for 72 per cent of the cases.
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