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Hadi Azmi

A Malaysian court on Thursday ordered 12 minors to indefinite juvenile detention and sentenced a 20-year-old man to life in jail over the murder of a 17-year-old student at a vocational college.
Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan was found dead on the floor of his dormitory in the Malaysian Borneo state of Sabah on March 22 last year after being beaten up by the 13 assailants, allegedly over missing money.
The case is one of several fatal bullying cases in Malaysian schools and colleges that have shocked the nation.
Sabah is also in the spotlight after the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir at an Islamic school sparked a wave of protest over alleged bullying and impunity at educational institutions.

All 13 were found guilty last Friday of jointly murdering Nazmie between 9pm on March 21 and the morning of March 22 last year, when his body was found.
When delivering his sentence on Thursday, Justice Duncan Sikodol at the Tawau District Court rubbished the defence’s argument that the teens only meant to discipline the victim. “The medical evidence furnished before the court clearly shows that the injuries did cause death,” he said.
Noting how bullying in Malaysia had now become deadly, he said he hoped that the case would serve as an important example of how bullying destroyed lives, snatched away the future of children, and crushed the hopes of parents.
“Parents send their children to school hoping they will get an education and a bright future, but some return traumatised, while others do not return at all. This situation must be stopped because no child should ever feel unsafe in school or a hostel, and no family should have to endure such a tragedy,” he said.
“The sentence handed down must be a commensurate punishment and a stern warning that the court will act firmly and will not tolerate such cruelty.”
The 12 minors will be detained at the discretion of the Sabah governor, he said, which amounts to indefinite detention. The sole adult, meanwhile, was sentenced to life as well as 12 strokes of the cane.

Bullying cases continue to spill out across Malaysian social media, raising questions over protections for victims and issues of school and college culture.
In one of the worst cases, 20-year-old Navy Cadet Officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain died after being tortured and scalded with a steam iron by fellow cadets over an alleged theft in 2017.
With more than 7,600 bullying cases recorded in schools last year, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has called for an amendment to the education act to allow for stricter enforcement.
“Combating bullying is an ongoing and continuous effort, and it requires commitment from all parties involved,” Fadhlina told parliament on Wednesday.


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Bullying in Malaysia: 13 face life behind bars over brutal dormitory murder of schoolboy

A Malaysian court has sentenced a 20-year-old man to life in jail and 12 minors to indefinite detention over the murder of 17-year-old student Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan. Photo: Shutterstock

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Zara Qairina Mahathir (right)  with her mother, Noraidah Lamat. Photo: Facebook

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Zara Qairina Mahathir was found unconscious outside the dormitory of her Islamic boarding school in Papar, Sabah, on July 17. Photo: Facebook

Protesters gather in Sipitang, Malaysia, on Sunday to demand justice for dead schoolgirl Zara Qairina Mahathir. Photo: Facebook/dunsindumin.sipitang.75

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The court handed one life sentence and indefinite detention to the rest over the killing of Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan in March last year


The court handed one life sentence and indefinite detention to the rest over the killing of Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan in March last year.


Crime

Zara Qairina Mahathir

Mental health

Bullying in Malaysia: 13 face life behind bars over brutal dormitory murder of schoolboy

.css-1c6uqr6{color:inherit;font-weight:inherit;font-size:inherit;font-family:inherit;line-height:inherit;overflow-wrap:break-word;}The court handed one life sentence and indefinite detention to the rest over the killing of Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan in March last year

The court handed one life sentence and indefinite detention to the rest over the killing of Nazmie Aizzat Narul Azwan in March last year