SHAH ALAM - Ketereh MP Major General (Rtd) Datuk Khlir Mohd Nor is ready to expose bullying incidents involving a boarding school in his parliamentary constituency if the victims' parents are too afraid to lodge a police report.
Khlir, who is also former Army Headquarters assistant chief of staff of intelligence assured that the identities of the bullying victims and their parents would be kept confidential.
He also pledged to ensure that the military-style bullying practices at the school were no longer kept hidden.
"I will raise this issue in Parliament and ensure that teachers or trainers teaching improper practices to Form 5 students are dismissed. The students involved should also be expelled.
"Not only that, but I also guarantee the safety of the witnesses who came forward as well as the students still in the school.
"I will not allow this to continue happening within a military organisation," he told Sinar.
Khlir said his team was also planning to deploy intelligence units to investigate the school's management, which was reportedly known for threatening parents who dared to report bullying incidents to the police.
"Parents need to lodge a police report. Don’t worry; I will monitor the situation. If they are afraid to report due to concerns about their personal information being leaked or potential threats, they can come and meet me directly," he added.
Khlir, who is also the school's alumnus did not deny the fact that bullying has been happening there since his school days.
However, he claimed it was done to foster a sense of camaraderie among students at that time.
"During my school days, there was bullying too, but it was minor—things like being asked to sing dikir barat or play sports late at night, which was considered not too extreme.
"It never involved malicious intent, like pressing a hot iron onto someone's chest or forcing someone to hold a commando rest position with the head in a bucket of water.
"If the punishment (with the intent to educate) took place without the presence of a trainer and they let seniors handle it, it can clearly become wrong," he said.