IPOH: The 15-year-old who was bullied at a secondary school in Gunung Rapat will be given time and space to be ready to return to class, says Perak education committee chairman Khairudin Abu Hanipah.
He said the school would understand if the victim was traumatised by the incident and was worried about going back to school.
"The student can come back to school like normal.
"It also depends on whether or not the parents would consent to send their child back to school," he told reporters after opening a book fair at AEON Mall Ipoh Klebang here on Friday (Aug 4).
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"They might feel it is not safe for their child following the incident," he said, adding that the school had followed the necessary standard operating procedures to make sure that such an incident would not recur.
The victim, from Kuala Lumpur, was said to have been hit and kicked by his senior, who was two years older, at the school on July 24.
The victim suffered a soft tissue injury to the left side of his face and received medical treatment as an outpatient at Hospital Raja Permaisuri Bainun.
A police investigation of the incident was ongoing.
Khairudin said incidents of bullying at school were not out of the ordinary.
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"It happens every now and then and (the seriousness) varies. It's how the schools handle the matter.
"We have SOP to follow when handling these cases, including giving warnings and punishment like suspension or expulsion.
"The state Education Department is serious when it comes to bullying cases and will take actions but it must be according to SOP," he added.
He also said schools, teachers and parents had roles to play when it came to bullying incidents.
"There needs to be commitment from all parties.
"Parents should always check on their children, as sometimes a bullying victim can be a quiet person, which could lead to them being bullied more or getting injured," he said.
Separately, Khairudin said there had been 45 cases of hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD) in the state.
He said these included 18 pre-schoolers and 27 primary school pupils in five districts, namely Kinta Utara; Kinta Selatan; Larut, Matang and Selama; Muallim; and Kerian.
"The situation is still under control, with the affected schools having taken the necessary steps to curb the spread of the disease," he said.
