An Indian-origin teenager in Malaysia has died following a vicious assault last week in which he was beaten with helmets, burned on his back and sodomised by an object by five youths.

The 18-year-old student, T. Nhaveen, died of his injuries in a hospital in Penang's George Town on Thursday, The Star newspaper reported.

The incident happened on June 10 when Nhaveen was buying burgers with his friend T. Previin in Taman Tun Sardon, Gelugor. Two youths known to them came and started teasing the duo. A fight broke out after insults were thrown.

Previin, 19, escaped with eye injuries while Nhaveen was hauled off to a field in Jalan Kaki Bukit where three other teenagers joined the two youths and brutalised Nhaveen with crash helmets. He was also sodomised and burnt on his back with cigarettes.  

Nhaveen suffered internal bleeding in his head and abdomen and was pronounced brain dead. The five suspects, believed to be Nhaveen's former schoolmates, were arrested and his death was re-classified as murder, said Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Khalid Abu Bakar.

Nhaveen's mother D. Shanti told the daily that her son had been bullied by one of the suspects three years ago in school for being soft.

"My son is dead. Don't let this happen to anyone else's child," she said fighting her tears.

This is the second death in less than two weeks to spark outrage in Malaysia about bullying.

On June 1, Navy cadet Zulfarhan Osman Zulkarnain, 21, died after he was allegedly tortured and burned with an iron.