KUCHING : Several Sarawak government and political figures are advocating for stricter disciplinary measures in secondary schools, including the restoration of public caning for students involved in violent incidents. Datuk Mohammad Razi Sitam, State Deputy Minister for Community Wellbeing and Family Development, argued that schools should revert to the stringent disciplinary practices that were common from the late 1970s through the 1990s. He stated that student violence in schools has worsened significantly, with the current disciplinary framework proving ineffective. According to Razi, physical bullying and abuse cases have evolved into criminal violence, partly due to policies that discourage corporal punishment even for serious offenses. “We need to restore the authority of principals and teachers to administer public caning for violent behavior,” Razi said in his statement. Drawing from personal experience, he recalled being caned by a teacher for repeated misbehavior during his school years, after which his parents reinforced the lesson with additional punishment at home. He noted that today’s system potentially exposes educators to legal consequences for similar disciplinary actions. Razi expressed concern that schools have become intimidating environments due to the education system’s inability to effectively discourage violent conduct. Datuk Seri Wong Soon Koh, senior vice president of the Progressive Democratic Party, echoed these sentiments in a separate statement, calling for an urgent review of school discipline policies. Wong emphasised that the current framework no longer ensures safety in educational settings, pointing to rising student violence as evidence that disciplinary methods require reassessment. He advocated for restoring firm control and severe consequences for violent students to safeguard those focused on learning. Datuk Peter Minos, formerly deputy information chief of Parti Pesaka Bumiputra Bersatu, also supports reinstating zero-tolerance policies for student violence. He highlighted that in previous decades, school principals had autonomy to implement public caning, suspension, and expulsion for students engaged in bullying and violence, suggesting these disciplinary powers should be restored immediately.