KUALA LUMPUR – The issue of bullying in educational institutes here can be partly attributed to how certain parties adopt a permissive stance towards the matter, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim.
Addressing the crowd at a Temu Anwar dialogue session at the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), Anwar stressed that his administration is committed to enforcing a zero-tolerance stance against any form of bullying within the country’s education institutions.
“Our weakness (in upholding human values) has caused us to take a permissive and tolerant stance towards bullying, (which) cannot happen if the culture rejects it.
“(This has created) a tradition and culture (allowing bullying)…this is a sickening thing happening in our country,” Anwar said, noting that bullying cases in educational institutes cannot be analysed separately from the culture which enabled them.
Although the prime minister noted that those found to have been involved in bullying cases are a “small group”, which do not represent a university’s entire student population, he urged for a greater emphasis on values and morals.
“The culture of thuggery and gangsterism within our educational system has become madness. We might have military discipline, (but what about) our appreciation of character and humanitarian values?
“If discipline is a vital aspect in other universities, it is even more important at this university (UPNM),” he added, noting that he has informed the education minister not to tolerate bullying culture at any schools or higher educational institutes.
Yesterday, the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) confirmed that it is investigating a case of a cadet at UPNM’s military training camp in Sg Besi who was allegedly bullied and tortured by a senior.
MAF said that the viral incident involved a cadet student being bullied by his senior, who pressed a hot iron against his chest.
It is understood that the act was uncovered after a routine inspection was conducted by the instructor on duty at the time, who noticed signs of injury on the victim’s body
The case marks the second known instance involving the same method of abuse at UPNM. In 2017, the nation was left stunned by the tragic death of UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who died after being beaten and tortured with a steam iron pressed to most parts of his body several times.
The Court of Appeal has since imposed the death sentence on six former UPNM students convicted of murdering Zulfarhan. – November 1, 2024