PUTRAJAYA: Seven students involved in a bullying incident at the National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) in Miri, Sarawak have received a one-week suspension from their studies effective yesterday.
Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh confirmed the disciplinary action followed a meeting of the IKBN Student Disciplinary Board held yesterday to address the viral bullying case.
The disciplinary committee unanimously decided to impose several additional penalties on the students involved, including the immediate suspension of their allowances.
Students must also perform charity work, report regularly to disciplinary officers, and refrain from leaving campus for one month as part of their punishment.
Both the students involved and the victim will attend compulsory counselling sessions arranged by IKBN Miri officials.
Hannah stated that these firm measures send a clear message that the ministry will not tolerate any misconduct that endangers student safety or damages the institution’s reputation.
The case gained national attention after a 13-second video showed a group of boys lifting a student and ramming him into a pole.
The Ministry of Youth and Sports dispatched two senior officials to IKBN Miri to conduct an independent investigation into the incident.
To prevent recurrence, the Student Affairs Unit and teaching staff will enhance monitoring and arrange counselling sessions with other ministries.
Bullying prevention programmes will be implemented in collaboration with police, who will deliver quarterly briefings to students.
Complaint box facilities will be expanded to allow students to report issues more easily and confidentially.
Hannah emphasized that these actions serve as a deterrent and demonstrate the seriousness with which authorities treat bullying cases.
She revealed that she had updated the Cabinet on the case development yesterday during their weekly meeting.
The minister confirmed her ministry remains open to sharing its experience in handling bullying cases, which also occur in workplace environments.
Comprehensive standard operating procedures to address bullying are currently under study by several ministers and government officials. – Bernama
