KUALA LUMPUR, Dec 14 — The MRSM Disciplinary Committee (JDM) has expelled ten students identified to be involved in a bullying incident in Perak that went viral on social media recently.

Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) director-general Datuk Azhar Abdul Manaf in a statement said the committee had studied the case thoroughly and decided to expel the students effective today.

"Mara takes last week’s bullying incident seriously and the decision today shows that we are firm and do not compromise on the offence committed by students under any Mara educational institutions (IPMA) or by any of its scholars,” he said.

Azhar said the students’ parents had been notified about the committee’s decision.

According to Azhar, the decision was made based on the guidelines stated in the MRSM Student Discipline Management Guide.

He said that he hoped the committee’s action would serve as a lesson not only to the students involved but also to other students that such misconduct would not be tolerated.

Meanwhile, Azhar said Mara is committed to tackling bullying by tightening standard operating procedures (SOP) through enforcement of school regulations as well as constant monitoring of students’ activities including in the classroom.

On Friday, several teenagers believed to be boarding school students were seen punching and kicking a student in several video clips lasting between 13 and 30 seconds which went viral on social media and the incident was heavily criticised by netizens.

Following the incident, nine male students aged 13 and a 15-year-old student were detained when they gave their statements at Kuala Kangsar police district headquarters. — Bernama