‘THERE MIGHT BE ELEMENT OF BULLYING’

Ministry leaving it to police to investigate incident

THE Education Ministry is not ruling out the possibility that bullying was an element in an incident involving a secondary school student in Shah Alam.

The student was beaten by his classmates as part of the school’s purported “birthday celebration”.

The beating was captured on video, which went viral after it was uploaded to social media.

Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the ministry was leaving it to the police to investigate the incident, and would decide on the next course of action after receiving a full report.

“I am not sure whether it is tradition, but at the moment, we are not ruling out the possibility that the case involves (bullying),” he said after a working visit to Kolej Sultan Abdul Hamid here yesterday.

Since the video surfaced online, police have rounded up nine students to facilitate an investigation following a report lodged by the victim of the beating.

Selangor Criminal Investigation Department chief Senior Assistant Commissioner Fadzil Ahmat was reported as saying that the Form Five students, all aged 19, were detained in front of their school in Bukit Jelutong on Monday.

They were released on the same day after their statements were recorded.

Fadzil added that the Investigation Paper would be submitted to the Selangor Public Prosecutor’s office for further action.

Police have classified the case under Section 148 of the Penal Code.