KUALA LUMPUR, Nov 12 — The Yang di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim has urged the Defence Ministry to prioritise the alleged bullying incident at Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM), which left a student with fractured ribs and spine.

His Majesty emphasised that the culture of bullying must not be allowed to persist, as it not only harms the well-being of trainees but also damages the reputation of higher education institutions in Malaysia.

"I want the Defence Ministry to take this matter seriously because bullying has occurred multiple times at UPNM,” said Sultan Ibrahim in a recent post on his official Facebook page.

He was referring to a recent incident where a UPNM trainee sustained serious injuries, allegedly inflicted by a senior student.

The 66-year-old monarch, who himself underwent military training in his youth, stated that while rigorous training is standard in the military to build mental toughness and courage, it should never extend to bullying or abuse that causes physical harm or death.

"This is an inhumane act,” he said, adding that this was not the first bullying case at UPNM; previous incidents had even resulted in the death of a trainee.

Earlier, Sultan Ibrahim met Defence Minister Datuk Seri Mohamed Khaled Nordin at Istana Negara.

On Sunday, the Defence Ministry announced that it would fully cooperate with the police in the ongoing investigation into the recent alleged bullying case at UPNM.

Minister Mohamed Khaled confirmed the matter had gone viral on social media, involving a UPNM trainee who was injured, reportedly due to the actions of a senior. Following the police report, the ministry provided all necessary details to assist in the investigation.

Reports revealed that on October 21, a 19-year-old UPNM trainee suffered fractured ribs and spine after being stomped on by a Year Three student. The victim is still receiving medical treatment.

Police are investigating the incident under Section 325 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing grievous hurt.

This is the third bullying-related assault at UPNM in the past seven years. Just last Friday, a UPNM trainee was charged in Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court for allegedly pressing a hot iron on a junior’s chest.

This follows the tragic 2017 death of cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, who was tortured and burned with a hot iron, which made national headlines. Six former UPNM trainees were later convicted of his murder.