KUALA LUMPUR, July 25 — The Court of Appeal on Tuesday sentenced six former students of Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) to death for the murder of Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain.
The case, which has gripped the nation for seven years, came to a dramatic conclusion when a three-judge panel led by Judge Datuk Hadhariah Syed Ismail allowed the prosecution’s cross-appeal to reinstate the original murder charge under Section 302 of the Penal Code. The accused — Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri, and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali — now face the death penalty for their role in the June 2017 incident.
Judge Hadhariah also addressed the fate of 12 other former UPNM students implicated in Zulfarhan’s assault, whereby the panel increased their sentences from three to four years’ imprisonment.
The brutal death of Zulfarhan, a promising 21-year-old third-year electrical engineering student at UPNM, sent shockwaves through Malaysia’s higher education system. His body bore testimony to the savage attack: extensive bruising and burn marks on his chest, hands, and feet, consistent with torture using an electric iron.
This verdict sends a strong message about the severity with which Malaysia’s justice system now views bullying cases, especially those resulting in fatalities, and the long-lasting impact of such incidents on families and communities. As the nation reflects on this case, Malay Mail takes a look at five other bullying cases that shocked the nation.
T. Nhaveen
On June 10, 2017, T. Nhaveen, 18, and his friend T. Previin, 19, were attacked at a local burger stall. The confrontation escalated into violence, with Nhaveen forcibly taken to a field where he was brutally beaten, burned with cigarettes and sexually assaulted. Five suspects, aged 16 to 18, were detained following the incident.
Despite medical evidence confirming Nhaveen succumbed to his injuries, including blunt force trauma, days later, the Penang High Court acquitted the five suspects in October 2022. Justice Radzi Hamid cited inconsistencies in the evidence and deemed key witness Previin’s account unreliable. The suspects were also discharged from a second charge of causing grievous hurt to Previin due to the same credibility issues.
The acquitted individuals are S. Gopinaath, 32, J. Ragesuthan, 24, S. Gokulan, 24, V. Sharmah, 24, and K. Tatisan, 23, who were initially charged with jointly murdering Nhaveen at Jalan Bunga Raya between 11pm and midnight on June 9, 2017.
16-year-old teenager from Kuching, Sarawak
In a deeply disturbing incident in 2019, a 16-year-old girl in Kuching, Sarawak, was found dead in what appeared to be a suicide influenced by social media.
The teenager reportedly fell from the third floor of a shop lot after conducting an Instagram poll asking her followers if she should take her own life. Astro Awani reported Padawan district police chief Supt Aidil Bolhassan confirming the incident, revealing unsettling details of the case.
According to Aidil, as many as 69 per cent of the teenager’s Instagram friends had supported the decision for her to kill herself via a voting poll uploaded at around 3pm. Police disclosed that she was believed to have felt stressed when her stepfather married a Vietnamese woman and seldom returned to their home.
Tahfiz student
In March 2020, Kuala Selangor police arrested a group of Form Three to Form Five students following a bullying incident at a local tahfiz school in Tanjong Karang. The arrest came after a male student was reportedly assaulted by a group of senior students at the religious school.
The incident gained public attention after a Facebook user claiming to be the victim’s brother shared details of the attack on March 12, alleging that the victim suffered liver and spleen injuries as a result of the bullying and that the organs may be removed due to the severity of the damage.
Sinar Harian reported Kuala Selangor deputy police chief, Deputy Superintendent Noor Janihan Nanyan, saying that the victim initially sought treatment at the Tanjong Karang Hospital before being transferred to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang, due to the severity of his injuries.
In a later development, Harian Metro reported that the assault might have been triggered by the victim’s alleged use of an electronic cigarette. The report cited an unnamed source from the school claiming that a senior student, upon discovering the victim smoking a vape in the dormitory, became enraged, leading to the violent confrontation.
Shashikala Nadarajah
In 2022, Shashikala Nadarajah, a 44-year-old mother of three in Malaysia, reportedly took her own life following bullying on TikTok, Sinar Daily reported. Shashikala had been bullied for several months.
Her TikTok account, which showcased her personal life and interests, became a target for malicious users who inundated her posts with hateful comments. The bullies reportedly focused their attacks on Shashikala’s appearance and her collection of handbags, turning what should have been a space for self-expression into a battleground of cruel taunts and insults.
The severity of the situation was highlighted by another TikTok user, Rose Veronica, who claimed that cyberbullying was the primary factor leading to Shashikala’s death.
Rajeswary Appahu
The death of social media influencer Rajeswary Appahu, known to her followers as Esha, culminated in a legal case that may potentially reshape Malaysia’s approach to cyberbullying. Esha took her own life on July 5 this year, mere days after filing a police report detailing threats and defamation she faced on social media platforms. In a swift response, authorities identified and charged two individuals connected to the harassment.
Welfare homeowner Shalini Periasamy, 35, pleaded guilty at the Kuala Lumpur Magistrates’ Court to charges under Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955, while B. Sathiskumar, a 44-year-old lorry driver, admitted guilt to charges under Section 233(1)(a) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. Sathiskumar confessed to posting offensive comments on his TikTok account "Dulal Brothers 360,” with the intention of annoying others. His sentencing has been postponed to allow him time to secure legal representation.
In response to Esha’s death, Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil announced plans to strengthen cyberbullying laws, signalling a significant shift in the nation’s approach to online harassment. Esha’s case has become a rallying point for advocates pushing for stronger protections against online harassment, raising questions about the responsibility of social media platforms in moderating content and protecting users.*If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim’s Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).
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