Pain And Trauma Of Bully Victim Persist 8 Years On

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‘Wan’, who is now in university, during his interview by FMT reporter Mohd Farhan Darwis.KUALA TERENGGANU: Although eight years have passed, the bullying suffered by “Wan” during his school years affects him to this day.
The victim, who requested FMT not to reveal his full name, said he often has flashbacks to the incident that partially cost him his hearing after his eardrums were damaged during a beating by five senior students in his school’s dormitory.
“I have woken up noticing my eyes were wet (from crying)..I’ve had dreams where it felt like the pain is back,” he said of the lasting impact the 2015 attack has had.
Had it not been for the assistant medical officer who suspected he had been bullied after examining his ear injury, Wan believes the actions of his five bullies would not have been detected as he had tried to hide evidence of the incident to avoid further abuse.
“I lied to the dormitory supervisor (to get permission to go to the clinic) by saying my ears hurt from playing football,” he said, adding that he had also hidden the bloodstains on his bedsheets.
“At the (medical officer’s) clinic they asked whether I was actually there because I was playing football, so I had to tell the real story.”
He said the matter eventually reached his father, who brought him home from school. He never returned again after that.
Wan’s case gained national attention last month when the Federal Court upheld its decision to award him more than RM600,000 in damages.
In 2017, his father filed a RM2 million lawsuit against the five senior students involved, the principal and senior assistant of the school, the director-general of education, and the government.
On Sept 29, 2019, the Kuala Terengganu High Court ordered all the respondents to pay combined damages of RM616,634.20, with presiding judge Zainal Azman Ab Aziz saying there were elements of negligence given the incident occurred in the headmaster’s dormitory room.
Now 22 years old, Wan was initially reluctant to be interviewed because he was worried about reliving the attack, but eventually agreed to share his story to hopefully speed up the drafting of an anti-bullying Act.
“I am doing this because I want to help enact an anti-bullying Act,” he said, referring to the ongoing efforts initiated by activist Wan Azliana Wan Adnan, who is also the president of the Association of Women’s Aspirations (Aswa).
Persistent ear pain
His hearing loss was not the only lasting damage his ears suffered. Wan now needs to be extra mindful around water as it can cause extreme pain if it gets into his ears, which means he needs to wear earplugs while bathing.
“When I perform ablution, I don’t rub water on my ears,” he said.
“And when I go to places at altitude like Cameron Highlands, my ear drums become sensitive because of the pressure.”
Finding peace through football
Wan, who is now pursuing an accounting major at a higher education institution, said he has found football to be helpful in distracting him from the pain. The physical sort, at least.
“When I feel pain, I play football (to escape). But it doesn’t remove the trauma,” he said. - FMT

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