Press statement by Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement on 28 November 2024 in Kuala Lumpur
Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA) urges the government to set up an inter-ministry committee led by SUHAKAM to probe numerous deaths stemming from bullying and tortures against cadet officers in army and universities.
According to media reports, a cadet officer from UiTM reserve officer training unit Muhammad Amir Rusyaidi Muhammad Zaidi died on 13 November, after the coach allegedly stepped on Amir’s chest and “rode like a horse”. The police claimed Amir attended a fitness test, he was punished for doing push-up activity by a trainer for lagging behind in a running test. He collapsed after the push-ups.
However, this is not the first death of cadet officers in the army and university. In 2017, a navy cadet at National Defense University Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain was tortured and killed by six former students at the university. A year later, another cadet officer J. Soosaimanicckam died at the Lumut naval base after exercises, the officer in charge refused to provide medical treatment when Soosaimanicckam suffered chest pain.
While the authorities have taken all these cases seriously, the phenomenon of the acts of bullying and torture in public institutions is alarming. The government must take active steps to identify root causes and stamp out bullying and tortures among cadet officers in army and universities.
Young cadet officers joined military training with the aim of making a contribution in defending their motherland from enemies, the government should treasure their noble ambition, provide remedies for the victim families and promise no-occurrence of the acts of torture in public institutions again. One death is too many for innocent and bright young Malaysians.
To make sure no more cadets would die in the hand of their peers or army officers like Muhammad Amir Rusyaidi Muhammad Zaidi, Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain and J. Soosaimanicckam did, the Madani Government must operationalise its value “compassion” as promotion of “human rights values” and “zero-torture, zero-bullying culture”, with standard operating procedures for reporting, investigation, accountability and compensation to make sure no cover-up.
Ng Yap Hwa
Chairperson
Teoh Beng Hock Association for Democratic Advancement (TBH-ADA)
赵明福民主促进会于2024 年 11 月 28 日于吉隆坡发出文告
政府必须杜绝对军队和大学学员的霸凌和酷刑
赵明福民主促进会促请政府成立一个由人权委员会( SUHAKAM) 领导的跨部门委员会，以彻查军队和大学学员因霸凌和酷刑死亡的几宗案件。
据媒体报道，玛拉工艺大学后备军官学员莫哈末阿米尔(Muhammad Amir Rusyaidi Muhammad Zaidi) 于 11 月 13 日死亡，据称教练用脚踩阿米尔的胸部并“像马一样骑着他”。警方声称阿米尔参加了一次体能测试，他因在跑步测试中落后而被教练命令做俯卧撑，他做着俯卧撑时倒下和失去意识。
这并不是军队和大学学员第一次因霸凌和酷刑死亡。 2017 年，国防大学的海军学员祖法汉( Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain)被该校六名前学生折磨致死。一年后，另一名海军新兵苏赛(J. Soosaimanicckam) 在 红土坎海军基地练习后感到胸口疼痛，负责的军官拒绝提供让他接受治疗。
虽然当局已严正对待所有这些案件，但公共部门发生的霸凌和酷刑现象无疑敲响了社会的警钟。政府必须采取积极措施找出根本原因，并杜绝军队和大学学员中的频密发生的霸凌和酷刑行为。
年轻的学员参加军事训练的目的是为保卫祖国免受敌人侵害做出贡献，政府应该珍惜他们的崇高抱负，为受害者家属提供补救措施，并承诺公共部门中不再发生霸凌和酷刑行为。对于无辜而前程似锦的马来西亚年轻人来说，一次死亡是太多了。
为了确保不再有类似阿米尔、祖法汉和苏赛那样死于其它学员或军官之手，昌明政府必须将其“同情心”价值观付诸实践，以促进“人权价值观”、“零酷刑及零欺凌文化”，并制定报告、调查、问责和赔偿的标准操作程序，以确保霸凌和酷刑的行为不被掩盖。
赵明福民主促进会主席
黄业华
注：赵明福民主促进会的宗旨是创造一个无酷刑社会和支援扣留所死亡和酷刑受害者家属。本会15年来争取赵明福命案的真相和正义，要求反贪会对该扣留所死亡和酷刑案件负上责任。