Bully case in army gets minister’s attention

Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein has urged the individual who alleged that his younger brother was bullied at an army camp to come forward and provide more information so that a thorough investigation can be carried out.

In a Facebook post, Hishammuddin said the identity of the individual would be protected, and that stern action would be taken if the allegation was proven to be true.

“I appeal to the individual to DM (direct message) me and provide a more detailed account, or contact my office immediately.

“Do not worry, your identity will be kept a secret. If the allegation is true, stern action will be taken. My deputy has also been asked to look into the matter personally,” he said.

Earlier, a screenshot of the individual’s message using the Twitter handle @pedogpop had gone viral. He had claimed that his younger brother who is a soldier living in a barrack at an army camp was hit and bullied by a group of seniors.

He also claimed that his brother’s salary and savings were depleted as the latter was forced to buy necessities for 12 to 14 seniors staying at the camp.

The victim was also said to be afraid to lodge a complaint to his superiors because such cases were previously only punished by just 45 minutes of foot marching.

The individual claimed to have lodged a police report but said he was advised to file a report with the army first. The individual said he was worried about the safety of his brother, who might suffer the same fate as the late Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia student, Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain.