KUALA LUMPUR: The Defence Ministry will investigate a case involving a cadet officer from Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), who was allegedly bullied and abused by a senior.
Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abdul Kadir, said the investigation will aim to identify the suspect and may include steps to station wardens in each cadet dormitory.
He added that the ministry’s involvement follows Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim’s recent commitment to eradicating bullying across educational institutions nationwide.
"We must understand that this case involves both UPNM and the Military Training Academy, which share responsibility for cadet supervision.
"While the incident occurred, it cannot be ignored as the Prime Minister emphasised, no institution can overlook such incidents.
We cannot tolerate extreme bullying in any form,” he told reporters at the UPNM Mosque here on Friday (Nov 1).
Zambry added that UPNM and the Military Training Academy operate under a unique structure. Cadets are supervised by UPNM during academic hours from 8am to 5pm, while the training takes over outside of those hours.
The Malaysian Armed Forces recently confirmed that they are investigating a case in which a senior allegedly pressed a hot iron onto a cadet officer’s chest, causing burn injuries. The incident sparked widespread public attention after images surfaced on social media.
In a separate matter, Zambry said the ministry is gathering information on reports that a Malaysian man, whose MyKad and driver’s licence were allegedly found at a Ukrainian battlefield, is currently studying in Ukraine.
"We’ll provide further comments once we have full details,” he said.
Earlier, Bernama reported that the police have reached out to the Russian Embassy here to investigate allegations that a Malaysian citizen might be involved as a mercenary in the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. -Bernama
