KUALA LUMPUR: Bullying within military training environments should not be tolerated, decreed His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, the King of Malaysia today.
His Majesty, who granted an audience to Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at Istana negara here, expressed grave concern over a recent bullying case at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) military training academy.
The incident left a cadet with fractured ribs and a spinal injury.
Sultan Ibrahim said such incidents tarnished both the students' welfare and the reputation of Malaysia's higher education institutions.
"While rigorous training is integral to military education, it should never devolve into acts of physical harm or cruelty. This type of inhumane conduct must be addressed urgently, particularly given the recurring nature of such incidents at UPNM, including past cases that have led to fatalities," a post on Sultan Ibrahim's Facebook page read.
In the recent alleged bully incident, a first-year student, 19, suffered serious injuries including a fractured rib and spine after he was allegedly assaulted by a senior student at the campus.
Earlier, the New Straits Times reported that police recorded statements from 16 individuals to facilitate investigations into a bullying and abuse case involving a cadet officer.
The alleged incident occurred at the UPNM dormitory, when the 20-year-old lodged a police report claiming his senior had pressed a hot iron onto the right side of his chest.