Zulfarhan and Nhaveen: Awareness on bullying and abuse spurred

KUALA LUMPUR: The deaths of student, T Nhaveen, and Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) naval cadet, Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, in June, have opened the eyes of numerous parties on issues of bullying and abuse in the country that has become worrisome.

Both cases received local and international attention on the social media which generally voiced concern over the mental state of youths in this country.

In an incident at 2.10am, on June 9, Nhaveen, 18, was bullied and savagely beaten with helmets by a group of teenagers at Jalan Kaki Bukit, George Town, Penang.

He sustained serious injuries, among others, to his brain and anus, leaving him in a comatose condition for five days prior to his death at the Intensive Care Unit of Penang Hospital.

Nhaveen’s friend, T Previin, 19, managed to escape and seek help.

Following the case, the suspects, including Form Four and Form Five students were charged in the Georgetown Magistrate Court for the murder of Naveen.

On Dec 6, the court set Jan 11 for the management of the case.

Meanwhile, the death of 21-year-old Zulfarhan Osman who succumbed to fatal injuries caused by abuse from university peers who accused him of laptop theft has left concern over the safety condition of institutions of higher learning.

The victim, who was a thirdyear electrical engineering student at UPNM, died at Serdang Hospital with his body covered with bruises and burns that were believed to be caused by a steam iron.

Following Zulfarhan’s death, 36 UPNM and Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten) students were detained to assist investigations into the case that was investigated under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

However, only 18 UPNM students were charged with murder, abetment for murder and causing intentional injury to Zulfarhan and the Kuala Lumpur High Court had set 14 days starting on Jan 29 for the murder trial.

Another incident which gained public attention was the case of six Form Two students of Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Parit, Perak, who were bullied by 10 seniors for refusing to lend their football shoes. The case ended with the seniors, aged between 15 and 16, being expelled from school for the offence.

Meanwhile, the deaths of two Royal Malaysian Navy personnel at the Sungai Wangi Detention room near Sitiawan, Perak, who were allegedly abused by three of their colleagues in an incident on Oct 1 showed that instances of bullying and abuse were not only restricted to learning institutions.

Based on the post-mortem report, the deaths of LK 1 Nik Muhammad Baihaqy Nik Mat, 28, and LK 1 TLS Lailatuliman Mohd Sukri, 26, were due to lung bleeding caused by blunt trauma on the soft tissues.

Following the increase in bullying cases, on Nov 24, Deputy Prime Minister (DPM) Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the government would implement four key measures that had been decided in the National Social Council meeting chaired by him.

The first measure is the implementation of classification on the actual definition of bullying, followed by effective collaborations established to create integrated social intervention between state education departments, Social Welfare Department, National Population and Family Development Board and the Royal Malaysian Police.

The third measure is to ensure that the social agenda is discussed at the level of the state and district action committees, while the fourth is the use of the social media by corporate bodies and non-governmental organisation as anti-bullying agents. — Bernama