Malaysia is deploying its first batch of army veterans as full-time wardens at elite college hostels to curb bullying and strengthen student discipline.
A total of 16 veterans from the Malaysian Armed Forces will report for duty at eight selected MARA Junior Science Colleges (MRSMs) on Wednesday, according to the online news outlet Malay Mail.
MRSMs are state-run residential schools focused on science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM) education.
Following the first phase, each of the eight MRSMs will have four wardens — two men and two women — for a total of 32 wardens, MARA Chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said.
The appointment of female wardens is expected to follow the male deployment, subject to the completion of the same screening process, he added.
The third phase, beginning January 1 2027, will expand the programme to all 58 MRSMs.
Recent high-profile bullying incidents in MRSMs have prompted the move. In late June 2026, six students from a MARA Junior Science College in Johor were arrested and now face expulsion after allegedly bullying a junior student, with Dusuki reiterating a strict "You touch, you go" zero-tolerance policy, Malaysian media reported.
Similar cases last year, including a viral video incident involving seven MRSM students recommended for expulsion, highlighted ongoing discipline challenges in residential hostels.
The April 2025 case at MRSM Nibong Tebal (Penang) involved a group of students physically bullying a peer; the incident had actually occurred mid-2024 but sparked widespread outrage after the video went viral on social media in 2025.
In 2025, UNICEF expressed concern over reports of bullying among children in Malaysia.
