PUTRAJAYA — Seven students involved in a bullying case against a student at the National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) in Miri, Sarawak have been suspended from their studies for a week starting yesterday, said Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh.
She said the decision was made after the IKBN Student Disciplinary Board Meeting held yesterday to discuss appropriate action against all the students concerned.
“The Miri IKBN Student Disciplinary Board Committee unanimously decided to impose several other disciplinary actions on the students involved, including the immediate suspension of their allowances and the requirement to perform charity work, report regularly to disciplinary officers and refrain from ‘outing’ for one month.
“The students involved and the victim must attend counselling sessions arranged by Miri IKBN,” she said at a press conference on the investigation into the Miri IKBN bullying case here today.
According to Yeoh, the firm step was taken as a clear message that the ministry will not compromise with any form of misconduct including bullying that affects the safety of students and tarnishes the good name of the educational institution.
Earlier, a 13-second video recording went viral on social media showing a group of boys lifting an individual with his legs open and rammed him into a pole.
Following that, Yeoh was reported yesterday to have said that the Ministry of Youth and Sports (KBS) had sent two top officials including deputy secretary-general (strategic) Chan Hong Jin earlier to Miri IKBN to conduct an independent investigation, including questioning the students involved in the incident.
To prevent similar incidents from recurring, Yeoh said the Student Affairs Unit and Miri IKBN teaching staff will enhance monitoring, arrange counselling sessions in collaboration with the Ministry of Education (KPM) and the Ministry of Health (KKM) in addition to implementing prevention programmes with the police.
She said the unit will hold briefings and talks on bullying that will be delivered by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) quarterly and the complaint box facility will be expanded to make it easier for students to channel complaints or suggestions for improvement immediately.
“This decision was taken to ensure that it is a deterrent to such cases (of bullying) and there is no room for this kind of thing to happen again. We want to send a serious message because if we do not take action, there will be more complaints,” she said.
Asked if KBS would share its experience in resolving the case, Yeoh said her party is always open and ready to do so since bullying cases also occur in the workplace.
“I also shared the development of this case with the Cabinet yesterday. As we know, the standard operating procedure (SOP) to comprehensively address bullying cases is being studied and there are always discussions between several ministers and the KSN (Chief Secretary to the Government Tan Sri Shamsul Azri Abu Bakar),” she said.
