MELAKA, Nov 7 — The Defence Ministry is introducing measures and regulations to curb bullying that could lead to injury or death among students at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).
Deputy minister Adly Zahari highlighted that one key improvement is enhancing security by increasing the number of wardens responsible for student supervision, ensuring closer attention to their well-being.
“We have zero tolerance for bullying in higher education institutions. We know that it can occur either between students or other parties. However, past incidents typically involved student-to-student incidents.
“We recognise the need to strengthen ties between wardens and students by increasing the presence of wardens,” he said after the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) In-Camp Schools e-Sports Competition at SMK Kem Terendak today.
He added that the ministry will not tolerate any bullying at UPNM and will take strict action under established regulations.
He said if a police report is lodged, however, full cooperation will be extended to support the investigation in accordance with the law.
Previously, MAF said it is investigating an incident involving a UPNM Military Training Academy cadet who was allegedly bullied by a senior who burned his chest with a hot iron, as reported on social media.
The incident reportedly came to light during a routine check by the supervising instructor, who noticed injuries on the victim’s body.
Meanwhile, he said the objective of the e-sports competition is to strengthen e-sports education for the children of defence personnel, nurturing talent and interest in this rapidly expanding field as it has the potential to showcase national-level e-sports athletes.
The programme also aims to introduce participants to the broader e-sports ecosystem through industry exhibitions, with support from the Youth and Sports Ministry and Esports Integrated and GamesBond International Sdn Bhd.
The two-day competition, which began yesterday, features 32 teams with 128 Forms 1 to 4 students competing in PUBG Mobile.
— Bernama
