The 16-year-old boys were charged under Section 507B of the Penal Code – a new anti-bullying provision – with causing harassment, distress, fear or alarm to the 13-year-old victim, Sinar Harian reported.

The trio, who entered their pleas before magistrate Nurul Izalina Rajaai in the closed-door proceedings, were alleged to have pushed the boy and pulled down his pants in a secondary school hall in Parit at about 8.30am on Nov 14.

The charge, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides for up to three years’ imprisonment, a fine, or both, upon conviction.

The prosecution was carried out by prosecuting officer Syukri Abdul Talib, while the three boys were represented by lawyer Nur Nadzrah Badarudin from the National Legal Aid Foundation.

The court set bail at RM500 for each of them, and scheduled Dec 16 for re-mention of the case and submission of the behaviour report from the social welfare department.