Deputy Minister of Defense Adly emphasized that the ministry has internal mechanisms including a special committee to differentiate between disciplinary training and bullying behavior, and will deal with those involved according to the law.
He stated that although military training is strict, it is carried out according to established modules, therefore, the Ministry of Defense does not tolerate any form of bullying behavior.
“We have made several decisions regarding bullying cases and have reminded those involved that they will face legal action.”
He said this on Thursday after attending the Kelantan Chinese Chamber of Commerce's Eid al-Fitr celebration when asked about the bullying incident at the Penang Selatan Mara Junior Science College (MRSM).
“We particularly emphasize the standard operating procedure (SOP) in dealing with bullying cases. Although this incident might be an isolated case, action is nonetheless taken.”
“As the Army Chief of Staff stated, several cases have indeed been reported, but we have established clear SOPs and adopted two approaches, namely measures at the Ministry of Defense level and internal actions of the armed forces.”
Additionally, Adly stated that other measures already taken include increasing the number of wardens at the Royal Military College, separating junior and senior students, and installing monitoring systems at strategic locations.
“Moreover, we also provide psychological rehabilitation space, offer counseling services and education to raise awareness among students and parents.”