Malaysian military vows are investigating new allegations of bullying following the deaths of previous students

MalaysiaThe country’s armed forces have vowed to investigate new allegations of bullying after a hot iron was pressed to the chest of a student at a military college, just months after courts imposed the death penalty on six former students over the murder of a fellow cadet at the institution.

The Malaysian National Defense University (UPNM) gained notoriety in 2017 for the death of 21-year-old Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, after six coursemates took turns pressing a steam iron on the victim’s body, including his genitals.

Zulfarhan succumbed to his injuries ten days after the attack.

In the latest case, another university student was allegedly tortured by a senior who pressed an iron on his chest until burn marks were left, the armed forces said, without saying when the incident took place.

“The Armed Forces confirm that the matter is now under investigation,” said a statement on the Ministry of Defense Facebook page late on Wednesday.

“The armed forces emphasize that the investigation will be thorough and will not protect or compromise any party involved in the case.”

The new allegations of harassment drew widespread condemnation from Malaysians, many of whom questioned the continued dangers to students at the university, an institution responsible for training military officers and potential future leaders of the armed forces.