King Wants Defence Ministry To Address Bullying Cases Seriously

KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 (Bernama) -- His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has urged the Defence Ministry to seriously address bullying cases at the Military Training Academy (ALK) of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).

Viewing seriously the latest case, which left a student with fractured ribs and spine, Sultan Ibrahim stressed that such a culture must not continue.

“It (bullying) does not only jeopardise the well-being of students but also tarnishes the reputation of higher learning institutions in this country,” the King said in a post on Sultan Ibrahim Sultan Iskandar’s Facebook page today.

The post noted that His Majesty had earlier granted an audience to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at Istana Negara.

Sultan Ibrahim pointed out that this was not the first bullying case reported at ALK UPNM, as it had happened several times and even resulted in death.

The King said that while rigorous training in the military is common to build mental and emotional toughness - something he experienced during his military training - it should never escalate to bullying or acts of torture to the point of causing physical harm or death.

“Such actions are inhumane. I urge the Defence Ministry to address this issue seriously, as bullying has repeatedly occurred at ALK UPNM,” said His Majesty.

On Sunday, police confirmed they were investigating an incident involving a 19-year-old UPNM student who was allegedly stomped on by a senior, causing severe injuries to his ribs and back.

On Nov 8, a cadet officer from ALK UPNM was charged at the Sessions Court with causing hurt to his junior using a hot steam iron last month.

-- BERNAMA