Six students at a MARA Junior Science College (MRSM) in Johor were arrested and remanded for bullying a 14-year-old junior student, who left the school due to trauma from physical abuse including punching, kicking, and extortion by senior students aged 17 [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]. The bullying incident reportedly occurred in May 2026 after the victim was caught vaping, triggering assaults and intimidation by the older students [3, 4].

MARA chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki called for zero tolerance on bullying, saying, "You touch, you go. There will be no compromise and no place for bullies in MRSM." He reaffirmed, "It’s completely unacceptable and will not be tolerated" [1, 5]. The MRSM disciplinary committee responded swiftly: four students were expelled while two others were suspended pending further police investigations into the assault [6]. Datuk Dr Asyraf said, "Only Allah knows how I felt when the six students were taken by their parents this morning after the MRSM disciplinary committee met and decided on their expulsion over the bullying case" [6].

The victim's mother described her son's ordeal, saying, "My son was physically bullied. He was punched, kicked in the chest and elbowed by senior students. Other students have also remained silent because they are afraid" [3]. MARA launched an internal investigation parallel to the police probe and urged students to report bullying rather than leave school [2, 5].

As part of efforts to enhance discipline and prevent recurring bullying, 16 former Malaysian Armed Forces veterans will be deployed as full-time wardens starting July 1, 2026. They will serve across eight selected MRSMs, with a target of four wardens per school—two male and two female, though female recruitment is ongoing [1, 7]. Candidates undergo thorough screening, including military record verification, criminal checks, and psychometric assessments [7].

MARA’s education system stresses character building alongside academic merit, aiming to produce leaders. The system claims a 99.1% graduate employability rate [8]. The deployment of veteran wardens marks the first phase of a wider program to strengthen discipline in MRSM schools.

The police investigation is ongoing, and MARA awaits the full police report before taking further action on the suspended students [8, 6]. The new warden team is scheduled to begin their duties on July 1, 2026 [1, 7].