Malaysian police to increase patrols in schools under ‘omnipresence’ strategy to curb juvenile crime, says Home Minister

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysian authorities will roll out a new strategy to strengthen their presence in schools, Home Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said on Saturday (Oct 18) following a string of major crimes reported in the country’s educational institutions recently. 

The move comes in response to a Cabinet directive for the Home Affairs ministry, through the Royal Malaysia Police, to enhance police presence on school grounds as part of broader efforts to curb rising juvenile crime, Saifuddin said. 

“We need to enhance patrols under the concept of ‘omnipresence’, which means ensuring the police are visibly present at schools,” he told reporters on Saturday, as reported by state news agency Bernama. 

This was also among the measures mentioned by Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim on Friday.

Anwar had also said that his Cabinet is considering a ban on smartphones for students under 16, as well as plans to improve educational content to promote moral and ethical values. 

The government’s focus on school safety follows the fatal stabbing of a 16-year-old girl at a school in Petaling Jaya on Oct 14 by a fellow schoolmate, which sent shockwaves through the country. The case is being investigated for murder. 

Anwar said that the Cabinet has since held a meeting to address the issue of student discipline, which he acknowledged on Friday as a growing concern for both parents and the public. 

Beyond increasing police patrols, Saifuddin said that the police will also be required to introduce more creative programmes to raise awareness among students about criminal activities.

“This means the police must follow up with more frequent visits and have more direct engagement with schools. It should go beyond casual visits or brief stops,” Bernama reported him as saying.

He added that the police need to be “more creative” by conducting various engagement sessions, carrying out frequent and structured visits, conducting inspections and providing advisory services to all stakeholders.