Charge culprits in UPNM bullying case, says activist

 

A senior cadet at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia was alleged to have pressed a hot iron against the chest of a junior cadet. (Facebook pic)

PETALING JAYA: 

An activist has called for legal action to be taken against those responsible following allegations that a cadet at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia’s (UPNM) in Sungai Besi was bullied by a senior who pressed a hot iron against his chest.

Wan Azliana Wan Adnan, head of the Anti-Bullying Act Campaign, told FMT that punitive measures such as suspensions are ineffective when bullying involves physical assault.

The armed forces said yesterday that it was investigating the bullying allegations.

“It’s disturbing to think that someone could use something as brutal as a hot iron to harm another person. These actions go far beyond bullying — they’re acts of physical violence, and they are extremely cruel,” said Wan Azliana.

“How can this happen again at the same university, with the same methods of bullying? Did the university take action against those responsible in Zulfarhan’s case? The answer is no.”

In 2017, navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain died after being tortured by his peers at UPNM’s Jebat hostel, with the Court of Appeal imposing the death sentence on six former UPNM students convicted of murdering him in May.

The High Court in 2021 tried the six for murder but reduced their charge to culpable homicide not amounting to murder, and sentenced them to 18 years in prison.

In May, the prosecution sought the death penalty for the six as a deterrent to the community and to emphasise the rejection of bullying and extreme abuse.

At the time, deputy public prosecutor K Mangai argued that the torture of Zulfarhan, which resulted in 90 scald burns covering 80% of his body, constituted an extreme act. She said an autopsy revealed that the scalding burns were the cause of death.

After the Court of Appeal’s ruling, defence minister Khaled Nordin had said he hoped UPNM would ensure that there would not be any similar bullying incidents at its campus.

“That happened in 2017; I believe there have been no further incidents since then, meaning that appropriate measures may have been taken by the university,” Bernama had quoted him as saying.

Hold institutes accountable

Wan Azliana also highlighted the importance of holding schools and universities accountable for bullying, arguing that such institutions should be liable if they fail to take adequate measures and provide a safe space.

“When bullying escalates to harassment or physical harm, it crosses the line from a disciplinary issue to a criminal one. Recognising bullying as a crime can push schools and authorities to act more decisively,” she said.

“Effective anti-bullying measures must hold institutions accountable if they fail to protect victims. Only by enacting anti-bullying laws and treating severe cases as criminal acts can we make headway in addressing this issue.”

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim is scheduled to visit the UPNM campus in Sungai Besi tomorrow for his “Temu Anwar” programme, which is a series of dialogue sessions aimed at providing the youth with an opportunity to engage with Anwar.

It is understood that the event at UPNM had been scheduled before the incident, which is believed to have been uncovered after an instructor noticed signs of injury on the cadet’s body during a routine inspection. - FMT