By Media Selangor Team
SHAH ALAM, Jan 19 — The Selangor government will roll out a pilot early-intervention programme in two secondary schools in Bandar Utama this year to strengthen peer-based emotional support for students.
This follows concerns over school safety and student well-being after a fatal incident in one of the schools last year, the Malay Mail reported.
State executive councillor for public health and environment Jamaliah Jamaluddin said the PeerZ pilot initiative is designed to complement the existing Peer Support programme (Pembimbing Rakan Sebaya) run by the Selangor State Education Department.
“PeerZ aims to provide a platform for students to share experiences, challenges and emotional stress with their peers in a safer and more conducive setting,” she told the English portal.
Jamaliah said students needing early support would first receive guidance from peers before cases are escalated to school counsellors or mental health professionals.
She added that the initiative focuses on awareness education, peer support and emotional skills development to help cultivate a healthier and more resilient learning environment.
Jamaliah stressed that safeguarding students’ safety and welfare remains a top priority for the state government.
She also said funding for mental health programmes under her portfolio has more than doubled this year, from RM700,000 in 2025 to RM1.5 million in 2026 to support pilot initiatives and mental health interventions for students and teachers.
On October 14 last year, a 16-year-old female student died after being stabbed in the chest and neck at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 4, Petaling Jaya.
Selangor police chief Datuk Shazeli Kahar had said then that a preliminary post-mortem report from the University Malaya Medical Centre established the cause of death as multiple stab wounds.
The suspect, a male student at the same school, was charged with murder at the Magistrates Court on October 22.
Last Friday, the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court was told that the suspect is fit to stand trial following a psychiatric assessment by Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta.
Following the incident, Jamaliah said the state held a Safety Strengthening Engagement session chaired by Menteri Besar Dato’ Seri Amirudin Shari on November 19 last year, involving school representatives, parent-teacher associations, and relevant agencies.
The state also channelled RM17,000 to the affected school to improve safety within the compound.
