KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 — The Education Ministry (MOE) has been urged to consider reinstating caning in schools nationwide as a disciplinary measure for students.
Bagan MP Lim Guan Eng said the move should be implemented with proper procedures and guidelines, encompassing not only schools under the MOE but also private schools.
"Caning has been effective in the past; during those times, we did not hear of cases like those occurring now," he said during the debate on the Supply Bill (Budget) 2026 at the policy stage in the Dewan Rakyat today.
Lim added that teachers assigned to administer caning should undergo psychological assessments to ensure the students' safety.
The former finance minister also advocated allocating funding to schools for installing closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras to enhance school safety.
Meanwhile, Ampang MP Rodziah Ismail said that implementing educational reform is essential for reducing administrative burdens, allowing teachers to focus on their primary role as educators.
To address this issue, she recommended that the MOE establish a Teacher Workload and School Safety Task Force to thoroughly examine the current issues, including the development of a unified national digital education system.
Rodziah noted that such a system would integrate reporting processes and eliminate redundancies among the MOE, the State Education Departments, and the District Education Offices.
"In reality, teachers today not only teach but also have to complete various digital reports, manage student welfare, handle audits, engage with the school community, and participate in numerous programmes and workshops.
"As a result, the time available to teach and understand students has been reduced, leading to increased stress among teachers," she said in her debate.
The Dewan Rakyat will reconvene on Wednesday (October 22) after the Deepavali celebration on Monday (October 20).
Before adjourning the session, Dewan Rakyat Speaker Tan Sri Johari Abdul extended Deepavali greetings to MPs, Parliamentary staff, and all Malaysians celebrating the festival.
