A TOTAL of 42 cases of bullying was recorded in Perak schools from January to July this year compared to only two cases last year, state police chief Mohd Yusri Hassan Basri said.

He told reporters that the data was obtained from the Perak Education Department, after attending the #Say No to Bullying Programme at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Anderson in Ipoh earlier today.

“The difference (in the number of cases) was due to the closure of schools during the Covid-19 pandemic phase,” he said.

On the programme, he said it aims to curb bullying incidents among students staying in hostels and increase student awareness and understanding of criminal offences and bullying.

Meanwhile, on the development of the rockfall incident at the quarry site in Keramat Pulai, Yusri said police had received a DNA sample from the next of kin of Itam Lasoh, one of the victims believed to be buried.

He said the police are now waiting for a DNA sample from the next of kin of another victim, Kheow Loo Siew Soon, who is believed to be abroad.

“We are waiting for the results of DNA samples from the victims’ next of kin to confirm if the bone fragments that had been found belong to the two,” he said.

The search-and-rescue operation for the two quarry workers was called off on Thursday after the discovery of clothing and fragments of human bones, including a second excavator, a day before.

All the bones were sent to the forensic department of Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital for autopsy and DNA testing. – Bernama, September 24, 2022.