MELAKA, Nov 7 — The Ministry of Defence is introducing measures and regulations to curb bullying that could lead to injury or death among students at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).

Deputy Minister Adly Zahari highlighted that one key improvement is enhancing security by increasing the number of wardens responsible for student supervision, ensuring closer attention to their well-being.

"We have zero tolerance for bullying in higher education institutions. We know that it can occur either between students or other parties. However, past incidents typically involved student-to-student incidents.

"We recognise the need to strengthen ties between wardens and students by increasing the presence of wardens,” he said after the Malaysian Armed Forces (MAF) In-Camp Schools e-Sports Competition at Sekolah Menengah Kem Terendak today.

He added that the ministry will not tolerate any bullying at UPNM and will take strict action under established regulations.

He added that if a police report is lodged, however, full cooperation will be extended to support the investigation in accordance with the law.

Previously, MAF stated that it is investigating an incident involving an ALK-UPNM cadet officer allegedly bullied by a senior who pressed a hot iron to his chest, causing burn marks, as reported on social media.

The incident reportedly came to light during a routine check by the supervising instructor, who noticed injuries on the victim’s body.

Meanwhile, the objective of the e-Sports Competition is to strengthen e-sports education for the children of defence personnel, nurturing talent and interest in this rapidly expanding field as it has the potential to showcase national-level e-sports athletes.

The programme also aims to introduce participants to the broader e-sports ecosystem through industry exhibitions, with support from the Ministry of Youth and Sports - Esports Integrated and GamesBond International Sdn Bhd.

The two-day competition, which began yesterday, features 32 teams with 128 students from Form 1 to Form 4 competing in the e-sport PlayerUnknown’s Battlegrounds (PUBG Mobile). — Bernama