#SHOWBIZ: 'Parents must be held accountable': Amin Idris decries denial in student bullying cases

KUALA LUMPUR: Television host and motivational speaker Amin Idris has spoken out against parents who blindly defend their children when they commit wrongdoing, particularly in school bullying cases.

In a recent post on Threads, Amin stressed that moral education begins at home and expressed frustration over parents who adopt a defensive or dismissive stance when called to address their children's misconduct.

"Education begins at home. In many cases, when a child does wrong, parents are called in. Their response is either not showing up at all or being defensive of the child who committed the offence," he wrote.

He also questioned the double standards of certain parents who demand the return of corporal punishment in schools yet react aggressively toward educators over minor disciplinary matters.

"Then they dare to demand the return of the cane? Yet when a teacher reprimands a child for incomplete homework, they throw a tantrum in the WhatsApp group and even threaten to lodge complaints via the Public Complaint Management System (Sispaa)!" he added.

Addressing the broader responsibility of child welfare, Amin emphasised that while schools and the government must ensure a safe environment, parents cannot give up their duties.

He advocated for stricter accountability measures for guardians when minors break the rules.

"Yes, schools must be safe spaces. Yes, the minister has a role to play. But what about parents? Hopefully, when cases involve minors, the child might escape legal penalties, but the parents must be held responsible," Amin said.

Sharing a personal ordeal, Amin recalled an incident where his own child experienced mental bullying during primary school.

"I have personal experience with my child being mentally bullied in primary school. When I contacted the bully's mother, she acted completely unbothered and brushed us off. Thankfully, the father responded some time later," he said.

Concluding his post, the host of TV3's Jurnal Muslim repeated that parental denial remains a core obstacle in addressing youth misconduct, noting, "There truly exist parents who are either defensive or in denial when their children make mistakes and are caught bullying their peers."