POLICE INVESTIGATING BULLYING CASE AT MRSM IN SPS

NIBONG TEBAL, April 7 (Bernama) -- Police have confirmed that a video that went viral today involving a student being bullied by his friends, took place at a MARA Science Junior College (MARA) in the Seberang Perai Selatan (SPS), here.

SPS district deputy police chief DSP Mohd Norazmi Abd Ghapar when contacted by Bernama today said the incident had occurred in the middle of last year.

He said police had conducted a preliminary investigation into the viral video and so far they have identified seven students, including the victim, who were involved in the incident.

"Based on preliminary investigations, the incident involving the viral video occurred in the middle of last year and the police are conducting further investigations to identify the real cause of the incident.

"The incident is believed to have occurred when they started teasing and mocking each other but so far there has been no police report about the incident, until it went viral today," he said.

Meanwhile, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (MARA) chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki through a post on the X application ordered that a detailed investigation be carried out and strict action taken without compromise if the incident is proven to have occurred.

"This morning I received a message that was circulated on one of the social media sites regarding a bullying incident that was said to have occurred at one of the MRSM. I have already instructed the management of MARA and the Secondary Education Division to conduct an immediate investigation.

"As a result of the investigation, I have just received a full report that the bullying incident was true and occurred at one of the MRSM in the northern region. I have ordered a detailed investigation to be carried out and during the investigation, the students involved must be suspended so that it does not interfere with the investigation and secondly it sends a clear message that we cannot compromise on such issues," he said.

Asyraf also stressed that MARA does not compromise on any act or culture of bullying whether physical or mental in any educational institution, in fact, he also often reminds all students of the principle of 'You Touch You Go'.

"MARA is a field for us to produce leaders. How can we give birth to leaders who are shallow in their intellect and polluted by their manners and moral behavior," he said.

Earlier, a one-minute and 32-second video footage went viral showing a group of male students smashing the head and body of another student lying on the bed, and were also seen whipping the victim with a belt.

--BERNAMA