Malaysian students report higher rates of cyberbullying than the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) average, with the problem linked to lower learning outcomes.
Education minister Fadhlina Sidek said the finding, which was based on the results of the 2025 Programme for International Student Assessment (Pisa), was among the issues that needed to be taken seriously.
“There is another Pisa finding that I think we must take seriously, namely cyberbullying.
“The rate of cyberbullying reported by Malaysian students is 5%, higher than the OECD average of 3%, and it is associated with lower learning outcomes,” she told a press conference at the education ministry.
Fadhlina said bullying among children was no longer confined to the school environment, as technology allowed the harassment to continue even after they returned home.
She said the safety and wellbeing of students were not secondary concerns, as they were closely linked to their ability to learn and develop.
“A child who is constantly afraid will find it difficult to learn. A child who is constantly hurt will find it difficult to develop,” she said.
Fadhlina said child protection efforts must also take into account the digital environment, which had now become part of their daily lives.
“Their world does not stop at the school gates. It follows them on their phones, in chat groups and in digital spaces,” she added.
In a related development, Fadhlina said Malaysian students’ reading performance improved in Pisa 2025, but literacy challenges had become more complex due to their exposure to various sources of information, including TikTok, WhatsApp, search engines and artificial intelligence.
The 2025 Pisa study in Malaysia was conducted from April 22 to May 30, involving 157 schools and educational institutions under the education ministry, as well as non-ministry institutions, including private schools, Mara Junior Science Colleges and GiatMara institutions.
A total of 7,624 15-year-old students took part.
The overall 2025 Pisa rankings have yet to be released and the ministry is currently focussing on the results for individual assessment domains.
