PETALING JAYA: Six students involved in the Perak bullying case have been suspended for two weeks, says Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid (pic).

       Bernama reported the Rural Development Minister as saying yesterday that the suspension was with immediate effect and added that expulsion has been proposed.

       Mahdzir said the hostel’s disciplinary committee had called up 10 students who were involved in the incident.

       “In the report that was prepared, six students hit the victim while four others were found to have conspired with and provoked (the bullies). All the students involved ranged from Form One to Form Three,”

       This comes after he said Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) would conduct a detailed investigation into the viral video of the bullying incident, where a student was seen in several clips taking punches from his peers.

       The incident is believed to have occurred at a boarding school, which falls under the ministry’s purview in Kuala Kangsar.

       “Mara views the matter seriously. Strict action will be taken against those involved based on the existing provisions and rules at the Mara management level, if the video is authentic,” he was quoted by Kosmo on Friday.

       Perak police chief Comm Datuk Mior Faridalathrash Wahid said they had detained four more students, aged 13 to 15, to help with the investigation.

       Comm Mior Faridalathrash said the four were expected to be released on police bail today once investigation had been completed.

       Six of the students detained on Friday were released yesterday, he said.

       Meanwhile, Perak Mentri Besar Datuk Seri Saarani Mohamad said those capable of beating up another person are emotionally unstable and parents, teachers along with hostel wardens all had a role to play in observing changes of behaviour among students.

       “As a former teacher, (I think) sometimes, students at hostels just want to let off steam as they could be unhappy with certain things, maybe towards their parents, teachers or they do not want to stay at the hostel,” he said at a press conference after opening the Ipoh International Art Festival at the People of Remarkable Talents (PORT) premises here yesterday.

       Saarani also said the person who recorded the incident should have stopped the act and not recorded it.