KUCHING: The army is currently investigating an alleged case of abuse of power and use of force by a senior army officer here.
According to Chief of Army General Tan Sri Datuk Muhammad Hafizuddeain Jantan, they received a report from the complainant regarding the incident.
“The police report made on March 3 by the complainant, who is an army officer, had gone viral on social media.
“In the report, he alleged that he was slapped on the face and kicked in the stomach by the senior officer, causing him to sustain soft tissue injuries above the eyes and blunt trauma.
“The incident happened while the complainant was undergoing training at the formation level,” he said in a statement.
Hafizuddeain affirmed that the army would establish an internal investigation board to identify the cause of the incident, in order to assess the allegations in a professional and detailed manner.
If it was proven that there was misconduct and abuse of power as alleged, he said the army would take appropriate action in accordance with the existing rules and instructions.
He added that the senior officer has been relieved from his duties to enable the army to carry out a transparent and thorough investigation.
“We take this allegation seriously and will try to identify the cause of the incident and will not compromise on the perpetrators if proven guilty regardless of rank and position.
“We hope that the public does not speculate on the case that may interfere with the investigation process,” he said.
