KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 29 — All Maktab Rendah Sains MARA (MRSM) nationwide will appoint former military personnel as full-time wardens from January 1, 2027.
MARA chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the decision was made after the MARA Council reviewed the findings of a study on the effectiveness of a pilot project involving the appointment of former military personnel as full-time external wardens at MRSM Besut and MRSM Balik Pulau.
He said the study found that appointing full-time wardens had a positive impact on discipline and physical security at hostels, while reducing cases of bullying and vandalism.
“Former military personnel serving as wardens were found to be effective in maintaining discipline and the physical security of hostels, while also receiving positive feedback from students, parents and administrators.
“The frequent and systematic presence of wardens also minimised opportunities for bullying and vandalism,” he said in a Facebook post.
Asyraf said the findings also showed that students felt safer and were more disciplined, while becoming more organised in managing their time, personal appearance, manners and respect for others.
At the same time, appointing full-time wardens helped ease teachers’ workload, allowing them to focus on their core responsibilities, including academic excellence and students’ character development.
He said the initiative was introduced after MARA received numerous complaints from MRSM teachers who had to take on additional duties as wardens for a monthly allowance of RM300.
He said the arrangement was considered unsuitable as teachers also had their core responsibilities and, realistically, could not conduct patrols around the clock, particularly late at night and in the early morning.
“Bullying and abuse usually occur during these hours.
“Therefore, creating full-time warden positions for former military personnel who retire while still in their productive years, such as in their 40s, not only provides them with career opportunities but can also help instil discipline among students,” he said.
Asyraf said the study also found a significant decline in disciplinary problems, while bullying cases were reported to have fallen to almost zero during the pilot project.
Following the positive findings, 10 MRSMs have recruited former military personnel as full-time wardens since July.
He said early results from the programme at the MRSMs also showed a drastic decline in disciplinary cases.
Asyraf also asked Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) to collaborate on developing a training module for the new wardens and to extend the study to address psychological bullying more holistically.
