KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Education Department has confirmed that a secondary school student has been suspended following a bullying incident at a school hostel earlier this month.
In a statement issued on Sunday (Sept 14), the department said immediate disciplinary action had been taken in line with existing rules, with the student also referred to a guidance counsellor for intervention.
"The department takes the matter seriously and will not compromise when it comes to bullying. The safety and wellbeing of students, teachers and the wider school community will always be protected," it said.
Efforts to reach Sabah Education Director Raisin Saidin for further comment were unsuccessful.
It is believed the suspension is linked to a police report lodged by the mother of a 14-year-old boy who claimed he was assaulted by a senior student at the school hostel in Limauan, Kinarut, on the night of Sept 7.
ALSO READ: Form Two boy allegedly assaulted, bullied by seniors
Lawyer Nurshalilah Fauzan Mailin, representing the victim’s mother, said the boy alleged he was kicked in the stomach, slapped and punched in the nose by a Form Four student, leaving him with injuries.
He also claimed he was ordered to iron clothes by another student earlier that night.
The boy’s mother, 42, lodged a police report at the Papar District Police Headquarters two days after the incident (Sept 9), followed by a second report in Kota Kinabalu on Saturday (Sept 13).
Nurshalilah told reporters she believed attempts were being made to resolve the case informally between the families involved.
"My client feels there is an effort to settle the matter quietly. If this continues, bullying will only persist without any legal action against those responsible," she said outside Kota Kinabalu district police headquarters.
Police are believed to be investigating the incident.
