UPNM cadet charged with causing hurt with hot steam iron

A Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM) military cadet was charged at a Kuala Lumpur Sessions Court with hurting a fellow cadet with a hot steam iron.

Amirul Iskandar Norhanizan, 22, claimed trial to causing hurt with a dangerous weapon against Muhammad Salman Mohd Saiful Surash, 20.

The accused was alleged to have committed the offence at the military training academy at UPNM, Sungai Besi camp, Kuala Lumpur, around 11.45pm on Oct 22.

Amirul faces a maximum 10-year jail sentence, fine, caning, or any of the two penalties if convicted of the offence under Section 324 of the Penal Code.

During the open-court proceedings this morning, deputy public prosecutor Mohd Sabri Othman urged for bail to be set at RM30,000 with one surety due to the gravity of the offence.

“It is a serious offence involving a hot steam iron that caused second-degree burns on the victim’s right chest,” the prosecution contended.

The deputy public prosecutor said the bail must be high as the case is of public interest and must serve as a reminder to society that student bullying cases are a serious matter.

Amirul, who was not represented, pleaded for lower bail as he was still a student and that his father is a retired public servant.

Judge Egusra Ali set bail at RM20,000 with two sureties and ordered the accused to not contact prosecution witnesses.

She also set Dec 27 for mention of the case.

Repeat case after seven years

The present case arose seven years after the brutal bullying and murder of UPNM navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain involving a hot iron.

Zulfarhan died on June 1, 2017, at Serdang Hospital due to injuries from 90 instances of steam ironing, which left scalding burns on 80 percent of his body.

The 21-year-old was allegedly subjected to multiple assaults over his refusal to confess to stealing a laptop belonging to another student at the public university’s dorm in Kuala Lumpur between May 21 and 22 that year.

Following the incident, six former UPNM students were convicted for Zulfarhan’s murder and given the death sentence.

The six were Muhammad Akmal Zuhairi Azmal, Muhammad Azamuddin Mad Sofi, Muhammad Najib Mohd Razi, Muhammad Afif Najmudin Azahat, Mohamad Shobirin Sabri, and Abdoul Hakeem Mohd Ali.

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