KUALA LUMPUR: MCA Youth has urged the Armed Forces and Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) to allow the police to investigate the bullying case involving a second-year cadet at the university.
Its information chief, Neow Choo Seong, said that the case can no longer be contained within the 'safe walls' of internal investigations, as it is considered an assault following media reports that a senior student allegedly pressed a hot steam iron against the cadet.
"The full weight of the law must be applied to the perpetrators. This should be a police case as a criminal offence has clearly occurred. A strong and clear message must be sent that bullying in educational institutions and hostels is a chapter of the past that must be closed permanently," Neow said in a statement.
He added that merely suspending or expelling the perpetrator would be inadequate, as he may still enrol in other higher education institutions.
Neow also said that this incident, along with the tragic 2017 death of UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, has tarnished UPNM's reputation.
On Wednesday, the Armed Forces announced it had launched an investigation into another bullying case at UPNM, involving a second-year cadet officer at ALK. The cadet was allegedly bullied and abused by a senior officer using a heated iron, reportedly leaving burn marks on his chest.
This marks the second case involving the same method of abuse at UPNM within seven years.
In 2017, the nation was horrified by the tragic death of UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who died after being bullied, beaten, and tortured, with most of his body repeatedly pressed with a steam iron.
Six former UPNM students were sentenced to death by hanging by the Court of Appeal for Zulfarhan's murder.