Mara to begin appointing ex-army, police officers as MRSM wardens

 Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki says the initiative will begin as a pilot programme at selected Mara Junior Science Colleges to stamp out bullying.

Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said Mara will work with the veteran associations for the armed forces and police to identify suitable candidates and develop selection criteria. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

To curb bullying and instil greater discipline, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) will begin appointing retired military and police officers as full-time wardens at selected Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSMs).

Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the initiative would begin as a pilot project at several campuses before being expanded nationwide, if successful.

“I raised this proposal during a Mara Council meeting and it was unanimously agreed upon,” he said in a Facebook post today.

Asyraf said Mara would work with the veteran associations for the armed forces and police to identify suitable candidates and develop selection criteria for the candidates.

He added that Mara’s secondary education division would draft clear guidelines on the wardens’ responsibilities and scope of work.

“This initiative is important to ensure the continuous strengthening of students’ character development, discipline, and moral values, in line with the educational philosophy of producing a generation that is holistically excellent and balanced in terms of physical, emotional, spiritual, and intellectual development,” he said.

Mara educational institutions, particularly MRSMs, have recently been marred by incidents of bullying.

Police last month confirmed that a viral video showing a group of boys pinning down and beating another student with a belt was filmed at an MRSM in Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang, in mid-2023.

Asyraf previously said that the seven students involved would be expelled. He said two had done the physical bullying while the other five were accomplices. - FMT