KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 11 (Bernama) -- What may be dismissed as ‘just a joke’ can leave lasting consequences, prompting the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP) and Dream Film Sdn Bhd to use the big screen to raise awareness about bullying among school students.
Co-produced by RMP and Dream Film, Is Not A Joke is an advocacy effort to convey the message that bullying should not be taken lightly and encourage the public to report such incidents to the authorities.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Datuk M. Kumar said bullying cases in educational institutions had increased this year, warranting serious attention from all parties.
“Therefore, we decided to work together to help and take action to ensure that the element and issue of bullying do not exist at all in our country,” he told reporters after the launch of the film trailer at the Police Training Centre Hall here today.
Kumar said the police and Dream Film also aimed to screen the film at 100 educational institutions nationwide to raise awareness, particularly among the younger generation, about the dangers of bullying.
Meanwhile, the film's director, Choong Lin Loong, said the idea for Is Not A Joke arose following the increase in bullying cases in schools, as well as the frequent use of excuses such as ‘I'm joking’ or ‘I'm just joking’ to downplay such incidents.
He said the production was initially planned as a police action film on investment scams, following Oppa, which was released in 2024, but the increase in bullying cases prompted a change in direction.
“After the film Oppa, we actually planned to produce a police action film about investment scams. However, last year saw an increase in bullying cases in schools.
“So, I informed the police, why don't we focus on the bullying issue first? They agreed and we produced this anti-bullying film,” he said.
Choong said the film, which also features actual police officers, is expected to be screened by the end of this year.
-- BERNAMA