KUALA LUMPUR: The Higher Education Ministry should establish guidelines to tackle bullying in higher learning institutions, says former minister Khairy Jamaluddin.

Commenting on the recent bullying of a Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) cadet, Khairy said such behaviour cannot be tolerated.

"At the school level, the Education Ministry has guidelines for managing bullying and misconduct in institutions under its purview," the former youth and sports minister said on his Keluar Sekejap podcast.

"We're not sure if anything similar exists at the university level, but based on our research, there doesn't seem to be anything comprehensive at the Higher Education Ministry level."

He said he hoped Higher Education Minister Datuk Seri Dr Zambry Abd Kadir would implement measures to combat bullying in universities.

Last Wednesday, the armed forces confirmed it had launched an investigation into the alleged bullying of a cadet by a senior who pressed a hot iron against the victim's chest.

At the time, the victim was ironing the alleged bully's clothes after being told to do so.

This is the second case involving the same method of abuse at UPNM in seven years.

In 2017, UPNM cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain died after being bullied, beaten, and tortured. His abusers repeatedly pressed a hot iron against his body.

Six former UPNM students were sentenced to death for Zulfarhan's murder.

Khairy also said that UPNM, as Malaysia's "West Point", the famous US military academy, should portray an image of discipline and excellence.

"At this stage, it's far from being the 'West Point of Malaysia'; it's more like something else. UPNM once had to have a four-star general as its leader vice-chancellor, now we have a two-star general in charge.

"This matter is inexcusable from the start," Khairy said adding that bad practices or traditions must be stopped.

"Why can't seniors iron their own clothes? We can't say, 'Oh, this has always been the way' – that it's some kind of rite of passage for freshmen to iron seniors' clothes. I really can't accept this kind of thing," he said.

Meanwhile, Keluar Sekejap co-host, Shahril Hamdan said seniors must act as mentors rather than perpetuating cycles of abuse.

"Seniors should guide and support newcomers, not exert control over them. This mentorship approach, they argued, is essential for fostering a healthy and supportive environment for students.

"This issue might not be far from the feudal problem we have in Malaysia. This system of feudalism manifests in many ways. We often talk about how it exists in politics and government, but it also exists in how we treat juniors, and it's evident in schools.

"It's particularly noticeable in boarding schools and more so in institutions like UPNM. It's romanticised as some kind of rite of passage – something you have to go through, with no one breaking the cycle."

https://www.nst.com.my/news/nation/2024/11/1129846/establish-guidelines-tackle-bullying-universities-says-kj