Cops arrest 2 soldiers in Miri over murder of junior army man

Summary

• Police arrest two soldiers at the Sri Miri army camp for allegedly causing the death of junior soldier Muhammad Muqriz Aseri.

• The incident is being investigated as a murder case under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

• Reports suggest the victim was subjected to alleged bullying before collapsing and being pronounced dead at Miri Hospital.

The police arrested two soldiers at the Sri Miri army camp in Miri, Sarawak, following the death of their junior, who reportedly suffered from blunt force trauma to his chest on Monday.

Miri district police chief Alexson Naga Chabu said the suspects, aged 22 and 24, both with army private ranks, were picked up from the military camp at about 4.30pm yesterday.

“Police are investigating this as a murder case under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

“Both suspects are now under a seven-day remand until April 4,” he said, adding that investigators have also recorded statements from four witnesses so far.

Asked whether it was a bullying case and if the victim was beaten up, Alexson (above) only said that police are still investigating.

According to a press statement released by the Malaysian Army’s communications cell, the victim was identified as Muhammad Muqriz Aseri, a 21-year-old private attached to the Royal Malay Regiment’s 20th Battalion.

A post-mortem on the victim’s body at the Miri Hospital revealed his cause of death as cardiac contusion that resulted from blunt force trauma to the chest.

“Initial investigation revealed that there were elements of ‘manhandling’ which is believed to have caused the victim’s death.

“Thus, the Army will leave the case to the police for further investigation. An internal investigation body was also set up to identify the cause and factors leading to this incident,” the statement read.

The victim’s body was laid to rest at his hometown in Petaling Jaya, Selangor, last night.

Alleged bullying

Earlier today, Berita Harian reported that the 21-year-old was pronounced dead at the Miri Hospital after he was allegedly bullied by two senior soldiers at the camp.

The report cited a source saying that at 2.15am on Monday, the victim was sleeping when he was woken up by two seniors for a pre-dawn meal.

However, the report stated that the two personnel ordered the victim to fall into a “commando rest” position for two minutes by balancing his head on the floor with his hands behind his back, followed by 20 push-ups.

The victim, who was sweating by then, stood up but immediately collapsed. The incident was subsequently reported to a corporal who was also the head of the quarters.

The officer sent the victim to Miri Hospital, but he was pronounced dead at 3.05am.

Past incidents

It was previously reported that rampant bullying took place at the Royal Military College, with a student claiming to have been forced to place his feet in scalding water, resulting in burns.

This prompted Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman, who is an RMC alumnus, to call for a police raid on the school and an investigation.

The Defence Ministry has been plagued by controversy due to a series of abuse and torture incidents at its prestigious Military Training Academy, where the Armed Forces send their cadets to undergo basic military courses while pursuing their tertiary education at the Universiti Pertahanan Nasional Malaysia (UPNM).

One of the most infamous cases was the murder of Navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain in 2017.

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