Students in ‘pole prank’ case to receive counselling

Students in ‘pole prank’ case to receive counselling

PETALING JAYA: All students involved in the alleged bullying incident at the National Youth Skills Institute in Miri, Sarawak, have been instructed to undergo counselling, according to youth and sports minister Hannah Yeoh.

Yeoh said the students underwent the first session of the counselling at 12.30pm today.

She also said a special committee led by the ministry’s deputy secretary-general arrived in Miri at 9am today to probe the incident.

“Following discussions with the police and the students’ parents, we have agreed on three immediate improvements: the appointment of a police liaison officer at the institute, anti-bullying talks by the police for all students every three months, and the provision of a complaint box in the institute,” she told a press conference today.

Asked whether the students involved had been suspended, Yeoh said investigations were still going on and that the ministry’s deputy secretary-general was currently interviewing the relevant parties.

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She said the institute’s student disciplinary board, chaired by its director, would convene immediately to decide the appropriate punishment.

“The parents of the victim have taken him for a second medical check-up and the health report is good,” she said.

“I want to make sure parents feel comfortable sending their children to the institute.

“Even though in this case the students say it was a prank, I don’t buy the word prank. I think if there are injuries or criminal elements, it must be investigated thoroughly,” she added.

Earlier today, Miri police chief Farhan Lee Abdullah said the case had been classified as requiring no further action after investigations found it was a prank among friends.

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He said the student concerned lodged a report on Sept 23 to deny being bullied, saying it was a birthday prank carried out voluntarily with his classmates, without any coercion or abuse.

A 13-second video of the incident, which went viral, showed a group of students from the institute lifting a classmate and ramming him into a pole.