[Malaysia] Editorial: Wrong rites

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26 Feb 2007

WHILE ragging is not officially approved in the military, it is astonishing how its unofficial practice finds many apologists in the military circles who defend it as a tradition worth preserving.

While conceding that the vicious beatings of a trainee air force pilot in Alor Star seem to have been excessive, the argument seems to be that so long as hazing is not extreme, it is acceptable.

Mild ragging is OK, it seems, because it is a rite of initiation which instils the esprit de corps needed to face the enemy in battle. But the problem is that what some may consider mild, others may regard as extreme, and even the mildest of ragging can be traumatic.

In the matter of the the Royal Malaysian Air Force trainee, ragging seems to be a euphemism for what appears to be a case of collective torture.

The problem is not the excesses but the very idea that cadets have to be subjected to rites of passage that are cruel and abusive to develop discipline and build character.

The question then is whether the drills and instructions during the training they receive in boot camp are so inadequate that they have to be humiliated. The violent attacks on the air force cadet strip bare the malice and brutality in military culture. That it has been tacitly allowed is alarming because it lays the groundwork for things to get out of hand.

The fact that it took police and media reports to take the lid off the issue reveals the strength of the unwritten code of silence and the lack of oversight mechanisms in the military.

It raises questions about the need for the military to condone the practice and should spur the Defence Ministry to take measures to change the culture rather than dismiss the abuses as isolated incidents and blaming them on the aberrant act of a few.

While steps have apparently been taken to combat abuses in the past, their implementation seems to have been lackadaisical. While a board of inquiry has been established to prosecute the abusers, the pledge not to allow a repeat of the incident hinges on measures to address ragging in the armed forces.

The military should adopt a zero-tolerance policy towards ragging by laying down the ground rules and implementing them unequivocally and consistently.

Otherwise, the only way systematic abuses in the military academies would be highlighted would be for someone to report to the police and squeal to the Press.

SFI Submits Memo On Ragging

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THE Students’ Federation of India (SFI) all India president R. Arun Kumar, Albeena Shakeel, joint secretary and Nithin, CEC member have submitted the following memorandum to the Supreme Court constituted committee against ragging in New Delhi on February 14. The following is the text of the memorandum

Ragging in campuses is a manifestation of coercive domination through the diversified use of class, caste, gender, region, language and race based hierarchies. The heroism created around the practices of ragging derives from the institutions of exploitation and discrimination embedded deep in our social fabric. Ragging seeks to create consent for other forms of exploitation in our society.

Ragging cannot be seen in isolation to the changes taking place in the society. The consumerist culture and discontent brewing in the society finds a vent through the means of ragging and harassment. Ragging thus should be viewed as a social problem than a law and order problem.
Ragging can be prevented only when:

1. Democratic atmosphere prevails in the campus

2. Students are involved in the process of prevention of ragging and they should be elected representatives of the student community

3. Immediate action should be taken on complaints

4. Action should be taken on the students indulging in ragging irrespective of their background

5. There is a stop on the degenerated culture that encourages ragging and other forms of harassment.

The punishment given to the students indulging in ragging should be based on the nature of the crime committed and the committees formed for this purpose should decide on this.

[ToI] Student ends life

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ANANTAPUR: A nursing college was ransacked and records destroyed on Friday after students went on a rampage following the death of a nursing student, who allegedly committed suicide after being ragged by her seniors.

Police said several students attacked Adarsha Nursing College here alleging that a nursing student Afsar Bhanu, 18, had committed suicide after being ragged in the college on Thursday.

The students damaged furniture, window panes and records in the college accusing the management of being lenient towards incidents of ragging in the college.

Sources said that Afsar Bhanu, a native of Kutagulla village in Kadiri mandal, got admission into B.Sc first year nursing course on February 15.

Three days ago, she went back to her village after reportedly being ragged by seniors. She told her parents that she would not go to college as her seniors were harassing and insulting her.

Her parents Munny and Rassol came to the college and asked the management to return the fees as their daughter was unable to continue her studies at the college. However, the college management refused to do so.

Later, parents and relatives tried to convince Afsar Bhanu to resume her studies at the same college as the management had refused to repay the fees. Afsar reluctantly accepted to go to college. But, she consumed a bottle of hair dye at her residence in Kutagulla village on Thursday.

Family members immediately shifted her to Kadiri hospital, where doctors referred the case to Anantapur General Hospital as her condition was serious.

She died near Mudigubba while being shifted to Anantapur, late on Thursday.Meanwhile, the college management denied that ragging was prevalent in their college and the student had attended classes only for three days after the college opened.

[Malaysia] Ragging 'a way of life in military'

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KUALA LUMPUR: Ragging is banned at military training camps. In practice, there is unofficial ragging of cadets to build their discipline and character.

While ragging does not officially exist at such institutions, it is carried out with the tacit acceptance of the authorities who see no harm in something that can help in the long run.

Most military personnel, in fact, believe it is can instil esprit de corps in cadets.

Senior armed forces personnel interviewed by the New Straits Times, who insisted on anonymity, concurred that ragging was a way of life in military training.

They were, however, equally in agreement that what happened to Royal Malaysian Air Force trainee Muhammad Hazim Ahmad Azman at the hands of a group of senior cadets at the Tanah Merah camp in Jitra was excessive.

Hazim was said to have been put through mental and physical abuse following a misunderstanding.

He was allegedly slapped, kicked, punched, stepped on and made to crawl on his knuckles as part of the torture.

He was also beaten with broom sticks and boots and forced to drink jugs of water until he vomited.

The seniors also allegedly forced him to eat nasi lemak mixed with grass, dunked him in sewage, forced him to gargle and wash his face in sewage and drink urine.

A fellow cadet, who could not stand seeing Hazim being put through the ordeal, recorded the incident with his camera phone and exposed it.

All officers interviewed agreed that ragging existed in military camps, although on a scale which did not come close to what Hazim went through.

One officer said he went through ragging from his seniors during his training.

"It’s normal. It makes us tough. How can we train soldiers to be tough if it does not happen?

"Yes, what the air force trainee was said to have gone through was a little extreme, but I wonder what he did to deserve it. Usually, ragging is done to a group and no one is singled out," said the officer.

It was the same with other military personnel interviewed.

All professed the character-building aspect of ragging and expressed concerns as to why Hazim had been singled out.

They all said ragging was done to groups of cadets and not individuals.

Another officer said: "For instance, if a cadet does something wrong, his seniors will rag his entire squad as a form of punishment. This is to teach camaraderie and teamwork. In war, the mistake of one person can be fatal to all the members of a squad, platoon or even the entire regiment.

"The fact that Hazim was singled out for ragging is unusual. Maybe he was a ‘hardcore’ case.

"Don’t be mistaken, I believe his treatment was too harsh. What I’m saying is, maybe, he is not totally blameless."

Yet another officer said what was done in training camps was not ragging but punishment to teach discipline to cadets.

"Military life is all about discipline and working as a team with fellow soldiers. Without these two things, you and those around you will fail.

"Cadets are punished for the smallest things because even the smallest mistakes can cost someone his life," he said.

However, this officer, too, agreed that what had been done to Hazim was out of the ordinary.

A senior officer attached to the Defence Ministry said ragging as a form of instilling discipline and esprit de corps in trainees was normal in training camps.

"It’s the military way of life. However, it is not practised in schools such as the Royal Military College, because although RMC is under the armed forces, it is still just a school and not the military," said the officer.

As many as 15 senior cadets of the camp are being investigated by the police and the RMAF for allegedly abusing Hazim.

Police will decide whether to take them to court while the RMAF, which has set up a board of inquiry, will decide whether to suspend or expel any of the cadets.

The board of inquiry is expected to take two weeks to complete its investigations.

RMAF chief Jen Datuk Seri Azizan Ariffin has spoken out against the treatment of Hazim.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak, who is also Defence Minister, said what the seniors did was despicable and unforgivable.

[Malaysia] Air force cadets suspended in ragging probe

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R.Manirajan
PUTRAJAYA: Royal Malaysian Air Force cadets involved in the ragging of a trainee at the Kepala Batas training college have been suspended with immediate effect.

Deputy Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Abdul Razak said an internal inquiry which is on going is expected to be completed in two weeks time.

Although Najib declined to give details on the number of seniors suspended, it is believed that 15 seniors were involved in the incident as 15 cadets identified from the video footage gave statements to the police.

"I have left it to the Air Force to take the appropriate action. The Chief of Air Force have requested for two weeks to complete their board of inquiry to come out with a report and after that immediate action will be taken.

"I will give you all the exact number of people suspended later," said Najib who is also Defence Minister.

TV3 had on Tuesday in its prime news broadcast visuals of severe ragging on first year pilot trainee, Mohd Hazim Ahmad Azam, 19.

The recording, captured by another freshie on his camera phone, shows Ahmad being forced to drink his own vomit, place his head in a rubbish bin, soak himself in sewer water from a drain, among others.

He was also punched and kicked.

The incidents were alleged to have happened since last September at the trainees' hostel at the Tanah Merah Camp near Jitra, Kedah.

Najib added that if there is evidence that those responsible are guilty, they could be expelled from the college and subject to other forms of legal action.

Najib was speaking to reporters after witnessing Penang Shipbuilding and Construction Sdn Bhd ink a US$42 million (RM147 million) agreement to design, build, launch three chemical tankers for Malaysian based Gagasan Carriers Sdn Bhd.

Meanwhile, Bernama reports that police have begun probing the ragging following an order issued by the Kedah Prosecutor's Office on Tuesday.

Kubang Pasu police chief Supt Mohd Karim Abu said other trainees as well as the college officers might be called up to give their statements.

He added Kubang Pasu police had set up a six-member team headed by an investigating officer to probe the case which was reported by the victim's father, Ahmad Azman Ghazali, 46, at Jitra police station on Sunday.

Mohd Karim said police would be taking statements from Mohd Halim and Ahmad Azman Thursday.

Investigation papers would be submitted to the Public Prosecutor who would decide whether those involved would be charged in court, he said.

However, he said police would not interfere with the investigation conducted by the RMAF inquiry board.

[Malaysia] RMAF Chief Says Ragging Culprits May Face Military Court

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ALOR STAR, Feb 21 (Bernama) -- The Air Force Training College trainees in Kepala Batas involved in the ragging of a junior may be brought before the Military Court or face a disciplinary action.

Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) Chief Gen Datuk Seri Azizan Ariffin said the form of action to be taken against them would depend on the internal inquiry into the incident which was expected to be completed in two weeks.

"The inquiry panel comprises a major and two captains," he told a press conference, here Wednesday.

He said 15 year three trainees were being investigated in connection with the case and their statements had been recorded.

The inquiry would also identify possible weaknesses in the RMAF training, he said.

"If there were weakness, we will correct them so that cases like this will not recur," he said.

Azizan said the outcome of the internal inquiry would not be made public.

TV3 in its prime news at 8pm last Monday, showed a video footage of severe raging on Muhammad Hazim Ahmad Azman, 20, who was in his pilot training there.

The recording, which was captured by a colleague, showed him being slapped, kicked, punched, stepped on and made to crawl on his knuckles. He was also forced to place his head in a rubbish bin, soak himself in a filthy drain and undergoing other forms of abuse.

Azizan said the incident should not have happened because trainees of the college were trained with high discipline.

"I would like to stress that the RMAF will not compromise and will not allow cases like this happen again," he said and added that the RMAF felt disturbed with the incident.

"Like incidents involving the RMAF aircraft, the abuse case makes us feel disturbed. We want to know the cause.

"As far as I know, there have never been cases like this," he said.

On investigations by the police on the same incident, Azizan said it was different because the police conducted the probe from the perspective of a crime being committed.

"The RMAF will give full cooperation and will not disturb police investigations," he said.

Meantime, the 15 suspects would continue to follow classes as usual, he said.

-- BERNAMA

[Malaysia] No Compromise For Those Who Went Overboard In Ragging Case

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KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 20 (Bernama) -- The Royal Malaysian Air Force (RMAF) will make no compromises over the ragging incidents involving one of its trainees undergoing a pilot's course at the Air Force Training College in Kepala Batas.

Its public relations officer Mejar Zulkiflee Abdul Latiff said appropriate action would be taken against those involved and that the RMAf would also ensure such incidents would not recur.

"Preliminary investigations found several trainees to be involved in this case and any further developments on it will be communicated to the media from time to time," he said in a statement here Tuesday.

He said that the inquiry board comprising three senior RMAF officers set up to probe the case would be thorough in its investigations.

It would also recommend the action to be taken against the culprits when it completed the probe, which should be about two weeks, he said.

Monday, private television station TV3 in its prime news at 8 pm broadcast a digital camera recording of incidents of severe ragging of a trainee from the college, Mohd Hazim Ahmad Azam, 19, who is in his first year of pilot training there.

The recording, which was captured by a colleague, showed him being forced to drink his own vomit, place his head in a rubbish bin, soak himself in a filthy drain and undergoing other forms of abuse.

The incidents were alleged to have happened since last Sept at the trainees' hostel at the Tanah Merah Camp near Jitra, Kedah.

-- BERNAMA