IPOH, Dec 10 — Perak police are conducting a detailed investigation into a bullying case that allegedly took place at Sultan Azlan Shah Mara Junior Science College (MRSM), Kuala Kangsar, about 43 kilometres from here, as viral on social media today.

In a statement this evening, Perak police chief Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said police had received a report from Sultan Azlan Shah MRSM principal on the matter at about 1pm.

"Initial investigation found the incident occurred between 1am and 2am on December 9 (yesterday) involving seven teenage suspects and a victim all aged 13,” he said.

According to him, police will be calling all students involved and the owner of the social media account which led to the video going viral, to give their statements to assist investigations.

He said the case is being investigated under Section 147 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.

Earlier in a media conference, he said he had ordered the Kuala Kangsar police chief to look into the matter.  

"I have directed the Kuala Kangsar district police chief (ACP Omar Bakhtiar Yaacob) to conduct an investigation to determine if the bullying case took place at the MRSM concerned or elsewhere.

"We will also investigate when the case actually took place, whether what went viral was an old incident or had taken place recently because there were also viral videos prior to this which were old incidents being circulated again,” he said.

He told reporters after witnessing a handing over of duty ceremony for the Kampar district police top post between Supt Hasron Nazri Hashim and Supt Mohamad Nazri Daud in the compound of the Kampar district police headquarters here today.

Mohamad Nazri took over as the new Kampar district police chief while Hasron Nazri was posted to Bukit Aman.

In a viral video clip, a group of youths believed to be hostel students were seen punching and kicking another student, prompting public condemnations.

Several video clips lasting between 13 seconds to 30 seconds were uploaded on a Facebook account showing a boy who appeared to be the victim of bullying was ordered to stand up before he was kicked in the back and punched several times in the stomach by several other youths.

Meanwhile, Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) chairman Datuk Seri Azizah Mohd Dun said Mara would investigate the validity of the videos to ensure they actually took place at the Kuala Kangsar MRSM.

"We will take action, investigate fully because we do not want bullying to be a culture in MRSM. They are still children and must be looked after.

"I was shocked at watching the videos and I don’t want them to be repeated,” she said after launching the Canggih Go programme and the opening of a new branch in Ampang Baru, here today. — Bernama