PAS Youth has called for an immediate and comprehensive investigation following the death of Form Four student Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal at a secondary school in Yong Peng, Batu Pahat, Johor.
PAS Youth chief Afnan Hamimi Taib Azamudden said the incident had shocked the country’s education system, which he claimed had been facing a series of tragedies in recent times.
“The main question here is whether schools are still safe places for our children to attend and learn.
“The bullying incidents, let alone the deaths reported from time to time and becoming increasingly serious, indicate that the country’s education system is in an unsafe state,” he said in a Facebook post on Sunday.
Irene Sofiya, 16, was found dead inside a school hall on Saturday afternoon. Police are investigating the case as suspected murder.
Afnan urged the Education Ministry (MOE) to identify the root causes of problems currently affecting educational institutions, particularly those involving students’ character, morality and discipline.
He also questioned whether the limits placed on teachers’ disciplinary authority had contributed to students becoming less able to distinguish right from wrong.
“Does the boundary of firmness imposed on educators today mean that students are increasingly losing their judgement? Only time will tell,” he said.
Meanwhile, PAS Information chief Ahmad Fadhli Shaari called on the Education Ministry to immediately conduct an audit of school safety measures.
He said the audit should examine security controls after school hours, additional classes, monitoring of school premises and mechanisms for detecting threats of violence and misconduct among students.
“Schools should be among the safest places for our children. Parents send their children to school with great trust that their safety will be protected, and that trust must not be allowed to erode.
“If there are weaknesses in the system, acknowledge them and fix them. Do not wait for another life to be lost before stronger action is taken,” he said.
Ahmad Fadhli also conveyed his condolences to Irene Sofiya’s family, particularly her grandmother, who was her guardian.
“May they be given the strength and resilience to face this extremely difficult ordeal,” he said.
