The Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) senior cadet charged with assaulting a junior could face severe consequences, including expulsion and scholarship revocation.
Speaking at a press conference following the ministry’s Integrity Day celebration at Wisma Pertahanan on Tuesday (Nov 12), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the Armed Forces Investigation Board would decide on the punishment later today.
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Speaking at a press conference following the ministry’s Integrity Day celebration at Wisma Pertahanan on Tuesday (Nov 12), Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin said the Armed Forces Investigation Board would decide on the punishment later today.
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NewsTranscript
00:00Dr. Suri, regarding the decision of the police, what is the decision, what has been decided, what action has been taken against you?
00:10Today, regarding the punishment, it will be done, but we are aware that the case of the student who was striked
00:23is also being investigated by the police and the next actions will be taken by the police.
00:32For us, we have also completed the investigation.
00:38Of course, the result of the investigation is the same, I believe, with what the police did.
00:49As for the punishment, it will be decided today, regarding the student.
00:54I can only imagine that we will not compromise in terms of discipline,
01:05because ragging orientation is not a new thing everywhere, but it has never involved violence.
01:23Therefore, whatever involves violence, we will not compromise to take a firm action.
01:33Including, we will stop whatever is involved from becoming a cadet,
01:41and we will demand that all the responsibilities that we have given them throughout their time
01:57or the individual through training as a cadet.
02:04So, in this context, I want to emphasize that the punishment does not run away from that.
02:11For those who are involved in matters of violence and violence,
02:17whether it is in the orientation period or in the daily relationship between cadets.
02:30I want to say that it is not fair for us to label UPNM with various titles.
02:41We have to realize that UPNM is a university that not only accommodates the needs of the Ministry of Defense
02:50by providing places to cadets of the Ministry of Defense,
02:54but UPNM also has students from the civilian public.
03:03And if we look at the number of UPNM students enrolled in 4,200,
03:15of that number, at this time, approximately 1,000 or 957 are cadets.
03:24Cadets are only one fourth of the number of students enrolled in UPNM.
03:30So, cadets are cadets assigned by the Ministry of Defense.
03:36They will be cadets.
03:43Every year, we take in 300.
03:45So, throughout their enrollment, in 1,000 people, because 300 per year, something like that.
03:52They are placed in the Military Training Academy.
03:58They are not placed in the same dormitories as other students.
04:04So, all of this happens in the Military Training Academy.
04:11So, all of your questions are irrelevant.
04:15So, that's it.
04:17If there is a discipline violation in the university,
04:23during the time of the university, it is the responsibility of the university.
04:26But all of this happens either in the dormitories of the Military Training Academy,
04:34or during the time of cadets, they must undergo military training.
04:40Because he is a cadet.
04:42That's why the second case happened in Padangkawat.
04:47He is not in the university.
04:51So, it is not fair to label UPNM with various names and so on.
04:59Because this happens in the Military Training Academy under the Ministry of Defense.
05:06I would like to say that we, the Ministry of Defense,
05:11as long as I am the minister, I practice openness in this matter.
05:17We do not have anything to hide.
05:19We will cooperate with all parties.
05:22We have no obstacle.
05:24If there is someone who receives harsh treatment,
05:31from the point of violence and so on, which is not fair,
05:35in the end, it involves the question of reporting to the police.
05:40Because the punishments we give are limited to the maximum,
05:50which is to separate him from becoming a cadet.
05:54But if it involves questions that are related to the element of crime and so on,
06:03let it be taken by the police and so on.
06:08So, we practice openness, we will not hide.
06:11Because we also do not support or we ourselves
06:23oppose any acts of violence committed by any cadet towards anyone.
06:32I think that is something very uncommon
06:37in the training of cadets and so on.
06:41If we ask all members of the military who have been trained,
06:46they go through difficult and challenging circumstances,
06:50but they have never been subjected to violence,
06:55such as being stabbed with an arrow and so on,
07:02or being trampled on until they are broken.
07:05So, we do not condone that kind of practice or action
07:12and harsh punishments.
07:14Indeed, many say, why does this happen?
07:17We are trying to prevent it.
07:21Today, what I want to share is that we have isolated
07:28both first-year students and senior students,
07:31in terms of where they live, and also in terms of direction.
07:35We differentiate between them.
07:37We also hold roll-calls in isolation.
07:42In the first year, we only hold roll-calls for the first year, and so on.
07:47We have also installed CCTV cameras in all blocks,
07:54but we will add this.
07:57Maybe what needs to be done,
07:59I understand that in the military,
08:01during training, if there is a fight,
08:04they will always hold roll-calls.
08:06If the situation is not under control,
08:10I am just sharing this, I am not saying that.
08:12They can do roll-call every one hour.
08:15When they do roll-call, they have to wear the uniform,
08:18they have to carry the weapons, so they have to line up.
08:22If there is a fight, every roll-call, one hour,
08:25two hours, every two hours,
08:27two in the morning or four in the morning,
08:29that's it.
08:31I don't know, I have to check what they do
08:35to ensure that this doesn't happen,
08:38to ensure that the discipline of cadets is maintained.
08:46We will give maximum punishment,
08:57as a form of awareness and action to prevent this from happening.
09:07This is one of the things we can do.
09:10Like other crimes, the punishment is very heavy,
09:17but it still happens.
09:19So we try, maybe we will raise awareness among cadets
09:26so that they don't do things they don't want to do,
09:32which in the end will affect their lives.
09:36They are thrown away, they are stopped,
09:38they have to pay back.
09:40And if there is an incident involving a police case,
09:47they go to court,
09:48then I am sure that their education while in the university,
09:54if they go to court,
09:56according to the law, they will be dependent on their education.
10:00So that's why we hope this will be a lesson,
10:04a deterrent to them.
10:08Is the prevention that has been done,
10:10such as the separation of juniors and seniors,
10:14was it done after the case was taken?
10:18We did the separation in January 2024,
10:23then the separation of cadets in October 2024.
10:29Then the roll call was also separated in October.
10:35So we hope that the ALK will act more firmly
10:43to ensure that this does not happen.
10:45So the reason for the separation,
10:47wasn't it a room with the seniors?
10:51No, because he was delivering food,
10:56then I was informed that the senior asked him to wash his clothes.
11:02Then when he did the roll call,
11:05he said that the roll call wasn't hot yet.
11:08Then when it wasn't hot yet,
11:10the senior came to test whether it was hot or not.
11:13That's all.
11:14That's what he said as a joke.
11:17So it didn't happen, right?
11:19When the cadets were stepped on,
11:21did they go through any medical treatment?
11:23Did they really have any medical treatment?
11:25They were indeed sent to the hospital to be treated.
11:31It was not denied,
11:33so the investigation was also carried out.
11:36Did the cadets receive any medical treatment
11:40from the senior cadets?
11:44I don't think so.
11:51As for the second case,
11:57he was one of the cadets.
12:01He was the one in charge.
12:04He was also a cadet.
12:06Did the cadets receive any medical treatment?
12:11No.
12:12I don't think so.
12:15So was the man in charge?
12:20He was like a supervisor.
12:22He was one of the cadets.
12:24He was one of the cadets.
12:28He was a rank holder.
12:31He was like a supervisor.
12:34As for the case of bullying,
12:40what drastic measures will be taken
12:44in addition to the treatment you mentioned?
12:47It's like a place to live.
12:52It's impossible for one warden to take care of another.
13:04So the important thing is to raise awareness,
13:10to give advice.
13:13And as I said earlier,
13:15to isolate the cadets.
13:20We just started doing that,
13:22and we'll see.
13:23Maybe we'll do a roll call.
13:29Sometimes we have to do a roll call
13:32so we can know if there are any actions
13:34that have been taken or not.
13:35It means checking.
13:37It will always have to be done.
13:39So more frequent roll calls?
13:40I think more frequent.
13:42How will the cadets deal with the UPNM?
13:48That's a question for the Minister of Higher Education.
13:51The UPNM is under him.
13:53As I said earlier,
13:54the academy and UPNM are two different things.
13:58The cadets are taken to the military academy.
14:06When they finish their studies,
14:07they will go to UPNM.
14:09They will study at UPNM.
14:11When they come back,
14:12they will go back to their world,
14:14which is the military academy.
14:16Everything that happens is at the military academy.
14:20Because they are mixed.
14:22So when they come back,
14:23they know they are seniors or juniors.
14:24Because they are always mixed.
14:25But if you are at the university,
14:28you are mixed for a year or two,
14:30you don't even know the other majors.
14:32Is this a year or what?
14:34Everything is normal at the university, right?
14:37This is a community.
14:39They know who is young and who is old.
14:43Is there a specific order?
14:45Yes.
14:46Is there a specific order?
14:47Under the UPNM.
14:49That's why I gave this press conference.
14:56We will see where the weaknesses are.
15:02If you look at the incidents that happened,
15:04for example,
15:05during the ironing,
15:06you can see it here and there.
15:08But the incident was only realized
15:10after there was a training
15:12by a duty officer.
15:14It means that there are others who witnessed.
15:17But like the incident
15:19with Mr. Ramzul Farhan.
15:21Many people know about the incident
15:23that happened to you,
15:24but no one wants to come forward
15:25except for the others.
15:26I think every incident
15:27should not be the same.
15:29Because every incident
15:30will be different.
15:31His condition.
15:35We are the only ones who said
15:36that many people saw it.
15:37I don't know.
15:38You have to look at the reports.
15:39I cannot say.
15:41Or I can't make a guess.
15:44So things like this,
15:46we depend on that.
15:47How do you know that many people saw it?
15:49I don't know.
15:50Because he was in the room.
15:51He was in the room.
15:52The room here.
15:54No, he called the witnesses.
15:56Witnesses can mean
15:57after the incident and so on.
15:59How about the witness?
16:00Witness there
16:02or the incident after that.
16:04So, I don't know.
16:05So, don't make a guess.