Ex-military, police officers to serve as wardens at 2 Mara colleges
PETALING JAYA : Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) has appointed retired military and police officers as hostel wardens for two Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSMs) under a pilot initiative starting next month.
Mara chairman Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the two colleges are MRSM Besut in Terengganu and MRSM Balik Pulau in Penang, with the appointment of not more than 10 male and female wardens, Bernama reported.
'We have conducted a series of interviews and we've shortlisted candidates. God willing, they will begin their duties in August.
'The standard operating procedures have also been provided and we will continue with the training,' he told reporters after opening the Bukit Gantan Umno meeting today.
In April, Asyraf announced Mara's plan to appoint hostel wardens from among former police and military personnel for selected MRSMs to curb bullying.
He said Mara would monitor the six-month trial period to evaluate the pros and cons of the initiative.
Asyraf said today the appointment of wardens from among retired military and police personnel did not mean they would use harsh disciplinary methods.
'We are starting this initiative with clear SOPs and strong foundational guidelines so that our children receive proper supervision and attention for their development in a safe hostel environment.
'We want to reassure parents that we do not compromise when it comes to bullying, be it physical or mental,' he said.
FMT previously quoted criminologist Shahul Hamid Abd Rahim as urging Mara not to grant full authority to former military and police officers appointed as hostel wardens at MRSMs.
Shahul Hamid said proper supervision and clear SOPs were needed to manage students, not harsh methods, commonly used in training security forces.
He said there was a real concern that these former officers might rely on a forceful approach towards students.
Last month, six students from MRSM Besut were expelled for bullying a 14-year-old student.
In April, seven students from an MRSM campus in Penang faced expulsion after a video showing the bullying of a fellow male student went viral.
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