Recently, the Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM) confirmed that a second-year cadet officer at the Military Training Academy (ALK), National Defense University (UPNM), fell victim to bullying, which included being pressed with an iron on the chest.
The news has since spread, raising concerns among the public, including the dad of the late Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who expressed his disbelief upon hearing that another cadet had experienced a similar incident to what happened to his son.
“I thought my late son’s case would be the last”
Harian Metro reported that Zulkarnain Idros learned about the incident after reading a media report sent by his wife via WhatsApp yesterday.
“I am saddened that the incident that happened to my late son has recurred with another student. I’m shocked that bullying cases are still happening to UPNM students. I thought my late son’s case would be the last, but it keeps happening.”
He continued to express how the claim that the victim was pressed with an iron, whether it was a regular iron or a steam iron, is something that cannot be accepted because it is not only painful and torturous but also leaves marks on the victim.
“Like what happened to my late son, who had 90 marks from a hot steam iron, and to this day, I cannot forget the suffering he endured.”
“The public needs to know”
Zulkarnain thinks the investigation report on the incident should be shared with the public to teach others a lesson.
He pointed out that the university needs to take this seriously, especially since it’s the second time something like this has happened, even if no one lost their life.
He also said it’s time to put an anti-bullying law in place to tackle the rise in physical, mental, and sexual bullying cases.
“Right now, there isn’t any specific law for bullying cases in schools and universities. The recent spike in bullying incidents is a clear warning that the authorities need to take action right away,” he said.
What are your thoughts on this? Let us know in the comments!
