LETTERS: The recent incidents of violence, including cases involving students being attacked and stabbed in schools, as well as violent crime incidents in the wider community, are a matter of grave concern to all Malaysians.
If such incidents continue, there is a danger that society may gradually become desensitised to violence and begin to regard aggressive behaviour and use of physical force as an acceptable way of resolving conflicts.
Violence must never become a culture in Malaysia.
We cannot wait until violence becomes deeply rooted before taking action.
Prevention must begin now and must involve the government, schools, families, communities, enforcement agencies, NGOs and the media.
Schools must strengthen programmes on emotional well-being and support, discipline, empathy, respect, conflict resolution and non-violent communication.
Students must understand that anger, provocation or disagreement can never justify violence.
At the same time, schools need stronger early-warning and intervention mechanisms.
Teachers, counsellors and school administrators should be equipped to identify aggressive behaviour, threats, serious bullying and other warning signs, and intervene before a situation escalates into tragedy.
Parents also have a crucial role. Children learn from their surroundings. They must be taught that true strength lies not in aggression, but in self-control, respect and the ability to resolve differences peacefully.
We must also pay greater attention to social media.
Exposure to violent content, online threats, humiliation and cyberbullying can contribute to an environment where aggressive behaviour is normalised. Digital responsibility and online civility must therefore be part of our education efforts.
While prevention is essential, enforcement must remain firm. Violence, particularly involving weapons, cannot simply be dismissed as youthful indiscretion or an ordinary disciplinary problem. Where criminal offences occur, appropriate action must be taken under the law.
However, punishment alone will not solve the problem. We need a whole-of-society approach to build a culture of respect, restraint, empathy and peaceful conflict resolution.
We must not wait for another tragedy before we act. Violence must be confronted early, prevented systematically and rejected collectively.
Malaysia must remain a society where respect is stronger than anger, dialogue is stronger than aggression, and every human life is valued and protected.
Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye
Chairman, Alliance for a Safe Community (Ikatan)
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