PETALING JAYA: Political leaders from various parties have called for an immediate and transparent investigation into the death of a Form Two student at a sports school here, following allegations that he was bullied.
Muhammad Idlan Fareeq Shahril, 14, was found unconscious at the school hostel on Friday (Sept 25) night before being taken to Hospital Tuanku Ampuan Najihah (HTAN), where he was pronounced dead.
Idlan, who was from Gemencheh, was the eldest of three siblings.
Umno secretary-general Datuk Dr Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki said he was saddened by news of the student’s death, who was alleged to have been a victim of bullying.
“The case must be investigated immediately and transparently, and firm action must be taken!” he said in a Facebook post on Saturday (Sept 26).
Bersatu vice-president Datuk Dr Mohd Radzi Jidin also called for a thorough and transparent investigation into the allegation that Idlan was bullied.
“Regarding the allegation that the deceased was a victim of bullying, the authorities must conduct a thorough investigation in the interest of justice for the deceased and his family,” he said in a post on Threads.
Parti Wawasan Negara secretary-general Datuk Seri Saifuddin Abdullah said the government, particularly the Education Ministry, must take immediate and firm action to address bullying in schools following the student’s death.
He said the incident raised serious questions about the level of safety for students in schools.
“Although the investigation is still ongoing and the actual cause of death must be determined by the authorities, this incident once again raises serious questions about the level of safety for students in schools,” he said in a statement.
Saifuddin said schools should be the safest places for children to learn, rather than places where they are exposed to violence and bullying.
He said the government, particularly the Education Ministry, could not regard bullying as merely a disciplinary issue, and children were sent to school to receive an education and not to become victims of violence.
“When bullying involves physical violence resulting in serious injury or loss of life, it must be treated as a serious matter requiring firm action.
“The government must act firmly. Do not wait until more lives are lost before this bullying problem is properly addressed,” he said.
Earlier, a social media post had gone viral alleging that the student died after being assaulted and bullied at the hostel.
However, the allegation that the student had been assaulted has yet to be verified, with police investigations ongoing to determine the actual cause of the incident.
