Mara chairman calls for end to movies, dramas on bullying

 Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki fears such shows could inspire copycats.

Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said movies or series depicting bullying end up with youths behaving like ‘taikos’ and ‘otais’. (Bernama pic)

PETALING JAYA:

Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki has called for an end to movies and dramas depicting bullying, citing fears they could lead to copycat behaviour.

Asyraf, who has often spoken out against bullying in schools, said movies or series that aim to address the menace inadvertently promote it.

“And you get youths acting like they are ‘taikos’ and ‘otais’,” he said in a post on Threads, referring to the ringleaders.

Asyraf’s post comes hours after Negeri Sembilan opened a murder investigation into the death of a Form 2 student at a sports school in Kuala Pilah.

The student died yesterday, with his family claiming he was assaulted by a senior.

A 16-year-old male student has since been arrested to assist in the murder probe following the incident which occurred at about 8pm yesterday in the school’s dormitory.

Education minister Fadhlina Sidek also ordered an immediate audit of the school’s safety compliance.

In a separate post, Asyraf said he was saddened by the student’s death.

“If what was claimed is true, it is compulsory for action to be taken immediately,” he said.

Asyraf had previously come down hard on incidents of bullying, saying he would never compromise on his policy of “you touch, you go” for Mara’s education institutions. - FMT