'You Touch, You Go': Malaysia Deploys Military Veterans As Hostel Wardens To Tackle School Bullying

Malaysia will deploy former military personnel as full-time hostel wardens in a group of elite boarding schools from July 1 as part of a nationwide effort to tackle bullying and improve student safety.

Veterans deployment begins
According to the South China Morning Post, the first 16 former Malaysian Armed Forces personnel will report for duty at eight Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSMs) on Wednesday. The initiative comes after a series of bullying incidents at residential schools sparked widespread concern across the country.

Response to bullying concerns
The move follows a recent bullying case at an MRSM in Johor, where the parents of a 14-year-old student alleged that their son repeatedly pleaded to leave the hostel because he could no longer endure the abuse. In response, Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki warned that six students involved would be expelled if found guilty.

Strict anti-bullying stance
"I want to reiterate the stand that I have repeatedly stressed to the entire MRSM community, 'You touch, you go.' There will be no compromise and no place for bullies in MRSM," Asyraf said in a social media post.

Strengthening discipline in schools
On Monday, Asyraf said the appointment of military veterans is intended to strengthen discipline and ensure that bullying "no longer occurs" at the colleges, which are managed by Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara), a government agency focused on education and economic development for Malaysia's bumiputra communities.

MRSMs are a network of state-run residential schools specialising in science education, with admissions primarily reserved for bumiputra students, who make up Malaysia's ethnic Malay and indigenous majority.

Previous incidents and national concern
The initiative comes less than a year after the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir at a boarding school in Sabah triggered nationwide protests and renewed calls for stronger measures to prevent bullying, abuse and safety lapses in residential schools.

Warden deployment details
According to Asyraf, the current phase will see a total of 32 wardens deployed across the eight selected colleges, with each campus receiving two male and two female wardens. While the first 16 male wardens begin work on July 1, recruitment for female wardens is ongoing. He said 162 women had applied for the remaining positions, with interviews scheduled after an online assessment.

Pilot project and expansion
The programme marks the second phase of Mara's recruitment drive targeting former military personnel. A pilot project launched in October 2025 at MRSM Besut in Terengganu and MRSM Balik Pulau in Penang reportedly improved student discipline and reduced bullying incidents to zero, according to a university study cited by Asyraf.

Recruitment and screening process
The recruitment process is being conducted by Glocal Link, a Mara subsidiary, in collaboration with the Mara Secondary Education Division, the Veterans Affairs Department, TalentCorp and the Malaysian Armed Forces Psychology and Counselling Section.

Asyraf said 147 candidates, including 139 male applicants who passed the initial screening, were interviewed in mid-June. Only honourably discharged military veterans are eligible for the programme.

Selected candidates must clear veteran-status verification, police background checks and screening against Malaysia's child sex offender register before appointment. They are also required to undergo psychometric assessments, military psychological evaluations, mental health screenings, physical fitness tests, panel interviews and a final assessment by Armed Forces psychologists.

The final evaluation examines candidates' understanding of child protection, risks of sexual misconduct, impulse control, professional boundaries with students and overall psychological suitability for hostel supervision.

National rollout plan
Malaysia plans to expand the programme to all 58 Mara Junior Science Colleges, with the third phase scheduled to begin on January 1, 2027.

Asyraf said only candidates with clean records, integrity and the appropriate qualifications to care for students would be appointed as wardens.

Published on: Tuesday, June 30, 2026, 04:13 PM IST