JOHOR BARU: His Majesty Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia, has called on the Defence Ministry to address bullying cases at its Military Training Academy (ALK) of the National Defence University of Malaysia (UPNM).
His Majesty said that the bullying culture should not be allowed to persist, as it not only affects student welfare but also tarnishes the reputation of higher education institutions in the country.
“I am taking this seriously (ALK UPNM incident) as it has resulted in a recruit suffering fractures to his ribs and spine,” he said.
His Majesty added that this was not the first time such a bullying case in ALK UPNM had been reported, as it has happened several times and even claimed lives.
He said that while hard training is common in the military to build strong mental and spiritual toughness, similar to what he once experienced during his military training, it should not extend to bullying or torturing someone to the point of causing physical injury or taking life.
"This is an inhumane act. I want the Defence Ministry to take this seriously because bullying cases have occurred several times in ALK UPNM," said His Majesty in a post on his official Facebook page.
His comments come in the wake of a UPNM cadet being charged with causing hurt to his junior using a steam iron.
The 19-year-old victim is reported to have suffered from fractured ribs and spine after he was stepped on by a Year Three student.
Earlier, His Majesty said that he was pleased to accept the visit of YB Dato' Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin, the Defence Minister, at the National Palace on Tuesday (Nov 12).
