KUALA LUMPUR: Majlis Amanah Rakyat (Mara) is reviewing its student outing standard operating procedures (SOP) after two Mara Junior Science Colleges (MRSM) students went missing recently.
Mara chairman Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said the disappearance of the two Form Four students from MRSM Alor Gajah, Melaka, on Aug 11 was an isolated case and should not result in rules that could disrupt activities and programmes.
He said students needed opportunities to develop their maturity, adding that they had long been allowed to go into town once or twice a month without teachers accompanying them, subject to certain conditions.
"We should not use this isolated case as the basis for regulations that could disrupt activities and programmes that have been running well," he told reporters after the 2026 pre-departure programme for Mara-sponsored students here.
Asyraf Wajdi urged all parties to give police and relevant institution space to complete their investigations, saying one of the girls had suffered a panic attack and was taken to hospital.
He said they were contacted by Alor Gajah police on Monday but said any findings could not be disclosed yet.
The two 16-year-old students were reported missing on Aug 11 after receiving treatment at a health clinic and were found four days later near Pasar Seni in Kuala Lumpur. – Bernama
