KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 23 — Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim said limited caning could be reintroduced in schools under strict conditions to restore student discipline.
Speaking in the Dewan Rakyat, Anwar clarified that his remarks reflected a personal view and not official government policy, but argued that schools must retain some authority to enforce discipline in serious cases.
“It should be reinstated, but not in public. Caning could be limited to the hand, and it should not be applied freely.
“However, any move must involve designated discipline teachers, with clear limits,” he said in Parliament here today, when responding to a supplementary question by Jelutong MP RSN Rayer on the possibility of bringing back caning in schools.
Anwar said his stance was shaped by his own experience as education minister in the late 1980s, when he had to deal with a string of high-profile bullying cases.
This included the death of a student at the Sekolah Menengah Teknik Cheras, where Form 5 student Hishamuddin Majid suffered organ failure after being beaten in the school.
Anwar said the incident led to sweeping disciplinary reforms across schools at the time, adding that strong action was necessary to restore order and public confidence.
He said the government is also mulling restricting access to social media for those under 16 years old, and that Putrajaya is currently examining models in other countries.
“This is not about banning phones, but the misuse of social media, gaming, and exposure to predators.”
Anwar said both proposals are part of a broader effort to strengthen school safety and moral values, saying that bullying and misconduct demand firm and coordinated action involving teachers, parents, and the community.
He confirmed that RM5 million has been allocated for the first phase of CCTV installation in selected schools and announced measures to strengthen counselling services and training for wardens, prefects, and hostel supervisors, including hiring veteran military personnel as assistant wardens.
Anwar also expressed support for keeping alcohol-related or gambling-themed events out of school premises, including those organised after hours.
“Schools are places for knowledge, morals, and values,” he said, urging alumni and external organisers to hold such events elsewhere.
