KUCHING, Sept 25 — Sarawak police are prepared to reopen investigation papers into the recent viral excessive ‘Happy Corner’ birthday prank involving students in Miri, said Datuk Mancha Ata.
The Sarawak commissioner of police said if any criminal elements are found, the case currently classified as no further action could be investigated again.
He stressed police are taking the incident that occurred at the Miri National Youth Skills Institute (IKBN) seriously.
“Although it may be considered a prank among students, outsiders see it as a serious form of bullying and this is not a trivial matter,” he told reporters after the Sarawak Police Contingent Headquarters Monthly Assembly here today.
Mancha said all parties involved had been called to the police station to ensure that such incidents do not recur.
He emphasised that the police must give due attention to the issue so that it would not be seen as a norm within educational institutions.
On Tuesday, Miri police chief ACP Mohd Farhan Lee Abdullah said the Miri IKBN deputy director of student affairs as well as the alleged victim and his parents had filed reports denying that the incident was an act of bullying.
They had explained the incident was merely an excessive prank among fellow automotive course students in conjunction with the alleged victim’s birthday on Sept 19 and there was no element of coercion or abuse involved.
The incident caught the attention of Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, who said a special committee had been set up to investigate.
All students involved have also been instructed to undergo counselling sessions.
The viral 13-second video of the prank showed a group of students lifting the birthday boy up by his arms and legs, then repeatedly banging his groin against a road sign pole.
According to Wikipedia, the ‘Happy Corner’ prank primarily occurs in mainland China, Hong Kong, Macau, and Taiwan. — The Borneo Post
