Fourteen former trainees of the Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) College in Kepala Batas, Jitra, were fined between RM1,000 and RM3,000 by the Magistrates Court today after they were found guilty of hurting a junior trainee of the college, three years ago.   

Magistrate Ahzal Fariz Ahmad Khairuddin handed all of them a RM1,000 fine for intentionally hurting Muhammad Hazim Ahmad Azman, a diploma in aeronautical engineering student at the college, who was 20 years old then.   

The accused, aged between 22 and 25, were charged with assaulting the victim behind Blok Kenyalang, Wisma Pegawai Kadet, Kem Tanah Merah on Jan 27, between 9am and 11am.   

The accused were Azharul Abdullah, Ahmad Hafiz Sulaiman, Phana a/l Achuan, Wan Aiman Hazimin Wan Baharudin, Mohd Hishamudin Mohd Suhaimee, Umar Anas Abdul Halim, Mohd Izhwan Zulkapli, Mohd Ezhan Ahmad Moxni, Mohd Rizuan Jamaludin, Mohamad Zhafri Hanafi, Mohd Fauzi Ishak, Abdullah Arobi Mohd Rosli, Sufian Mamat and Muhamad Yusof.   

Sufian and Muhammad were slapped additional RM2,000 fines each, the former for forcing Muhamad Hazim to stand on nails embedded in a plank and the latter for pouring hot water on him.   

These offences were committed on the same date, place and time.   

They were charged under Section 323 of the Penal Code while Sufian and Muhamad faced additional charges under Section 324 of the same code (voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means).   

All the accused were represented by counsel MM Athimulan while the prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor, Nurul Huda Idris.   

Meanwhile, the victim's father Ahmad Azman Ghazali, 50, when approached by reporters outside the court, said his family accepted the punishment meted out by the court.   

"We hope they will change and become good citizens," he said.   

He added that his son now had fully recovered from the traumatic experience and since six months ago had been working as an aircraft components maintenance technician and lived with the family in Kuala Lumpur.   

The case had drawn wide media attention and put in the spotlight the issue of ragging in the military.   

- Bernama