KUALA LUMPUR: Police have detained 36 students of two public universities to assist investigations into the death of a Malaysian National Defence University (UPNM) cadet who was suspected to be have been abused with a steam iron.

The investigation will be made under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.

Selangor CID chief SAC Fadzil Ahmat said 32 of the students were from UPNM and four from Universiti Tenaga Nasional (Uniten), all aged from 20 to 21, according to an Utusan Online report.

Fadzil said in a statement today they were detained last night and had been remanded for seven days.

The victim, navy cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, 21, was pronounced dead at Serdang Hospital about 10pm yesterday after he was sent there for treatment by several friends.

It was understood that Zulfarhan arrived at the hospital with injuries on his body caused by suspected scalding and bruises.

In a tweet, Defence Minister Hishammuddin Hussein said he had ordered the armed forces and UPNM to launch an investigation immediately.

“No one will escape action under the law if found guilty,” he said.

“Innalillah…sad and dismayed to learn of the death of navy cadet officer Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain. Al Fatihah.”