Ten students from Maktab Rendah Sains Mara (MRSM) Parit, Perak, were expelled yesterday after they were found guilty of bullying six Form Two students earlier this month.

Rural and Regional Development Deputy Minister, Datuk Ahmad Jazlan Yaakub said the decision was made by the Mara College appeals committee which held a meeting on Monday, which also served as a venue for all the students involved to defend themselves.

"This is to serve as a lesson for any student not to do things outside civility and decency... and for the parents, please don't worry because we will not compromise on such behaviour.

"I also want to stress that we do not victimise anybody," he told reporters after presenting the Technical Training and Entrepreneurship Programme certificates to the Cambodian Muslim community, here, today.

Also present were Mara director-general Azhar Abdul Manaf and Department of Islamic Development Malaysia (Jakim) deputy director-general (Policy) Datuk Mohamad Nordin Ibrahim.

On May 18, the media reported that six MRSM students became victims of a bullying incident, believed to have occurred earlier this month, when 10 senior students assaulted them after the victims refused to lend their soccer shoes.

Perak Tengah district police chief, Supt Mohamad Zainal Abdullah was quoted as saying that the victims in the case, all aged 14 years, were assaulted by senior students, aged 15 to 16.

Meanwhile, Azhar said the six students who were still traumatised by the incident had been given counselling and some of them had been approved for transfer to other MRSM branches.

In JELEBU, Education Minister Datuk Seri Mahdzir Khalid said the 10 students could make appeals to enter normal day schools.

He said they could do so at any State Education Office.

"However, they will be subject to certain conditions in view of their involvement in bullying," he told reporters.

-- BERNAMA