The Ministry of Education Malaysia will handle all arrangements to repatriate the bodies of two students from Institut Pendidikan Guru Kampus Perlis to Sarawak after they drowned during a kayaking activity at Pantai Merdeka on Saturday.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the ministry, together with IPG, will extend full assistance to the families of both victims, who had just begun their second year of studies at the institute.
“KPM expresses its deepest condolences to the families. We have lost two promising future educators, and this is a significant loss to the nation,” he said when met at the Forensic Department of Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah on Sunday.
The victims, identified as Christopher Ling Jia Siang, 21, and Joey Ling Lin Siang, 20, were found drowned at around 7.30pm while participating in the kayaking activity.
It is understood that the male victim was from Kuching, while the female victim hailed from Sibu. Their next of kin have arrived at the hospital to carry out identification procedures before further arrangements are made.
Wong added that counselling services will also be provided to students directly involved, as well as others affected by the tragic incident, underscoring the importance of emotional support during such difficult times.
He said investigations are being conducted on two fronts, involving both the police and the ministry, with KPM pledging full cooperation. An internal probe has also been launched immediately to determine the cause of the incident.
Earlier, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek shared in a Facebook post that the ministry has initiated an internal investigation to assess compliance with standard operating procedures (SOPs), alongside ongoing investigations by the authorities.
