Family of late cadet saddened by bullying case in Penang

JOHOR BARU: The family of the late cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who was allegedly tortured to death by his fellow university mates, hopes for more awareness and educational programmes to end the culture of bullying.

Zulfarhan’s cousin Mohd Nur Ridhuan Saadon, 30, who is self-employed, said that the family was shocked and saddened to learn about another severe case of bullying in Penang, where the victim is in a coma.

“It is truly another tragic case and we, too, feel the family’s pain as we have lost Zulfarhan forever due to bullies.

“This (bullying) has to stop. Everyone should play a role in creating awareness on the effects of bullying and how it can go from seemingly harmless taunts to death,” he said yesterday. .

He urged the authorities to engage in more educational programmes especially among youngsters, who take bullying lightly.

“It is not a new issue but in this day and age, technology reveals how bullying has been taken to a whole new level.

“Nowadays, some bullies have the audacity to record their hateful crimes and post it on social media, embarrassing the victim even more.

“But on the flip side, the same platform has also highlighted how real the issue is and why it should be tackled,” he added.