GEORGE TOWN • An 18-year-old youth was on life support in a Penang hospital yesterday after being beaten with helmets, burned on his back and sodomised by an object by five youths following a misunderstanding at a burger stall.

The case comes hard on the heels of a shocking incident in Selangor, another Malaysian state, in which navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, 21, was tortured and killed last week.

Student T. Nhaveen has been on life support since Tuesday after being declared brain dead due to the beating by a group of teenagers with helmets. He was with his best friend T. Previin, 19, close to midnight last Saturday when two youths known to them started teasing the duo.

"According to Previin's statement, the fight started with teasing between the two victims and two former schoolmates they met at a burger stall," said George Town police chief Anuar Omar.

When the youths kept up their taunts, Previin confronted them and asked why they kept bullying Nhaveen. "I raised my hand, as if to slap one of them. I didn't but I think this made them angry," he said.

He said one of the youths made a phone call and several more youths showed up on motorcycles.

"They started beating us with their helmets and fists, but Nhaveen did not fight back," Previin said. "During the fight, I managed to escape and immediately went to Nhaveen's house and told his uncle what had happened.

"I don't know what happened after that," he said.

Nhaveen was found unconscious in a field later on. He had been sodomised with an object, had burns on his back and suffered internal bleeding in his head and abdomen.

He was taken to Penang Hospital unconscious.

Police have detained the youths suspected of being involved in the beating.

Angry netizens are calling for justice for the young man.

"Hey young teenagers, life is hard. You have made it harder by your inhumane act," wrote Facebook user Elsie Jones Akau.

In last week's case, navy cadet Zulfarhan was allegedly tortured over two days by his fellow university mates over a dispute about a missing laptop.

Five navy cadets from the Malaysia National Defence University were yesterday charged in a Kuala Lumpur court with the murder of Mr Zulfarhan. Another cadet was charged with abetting the crime. All of them are 21 years old.

Doctors found 80 per cent of Mr Zulfarhan's body covered in bruises and burn marks.

Speaking about Nhaveen's case, a cousin of Mr Zulfarhan, Mr Mohd Nur Ridhuan Saadon, 30, said his family was shocked over the new bullying incident.

"It is truly another tragic case and we, too, feel the family's pain as we have lost Zulfarhan forever due to bullies."

THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK