SEREMBAN: Police have classified the death of a Form 2 student at a sports school in Kuala Pilah as murder, says state police chief Deputy Comm Datuk Alzafny Ahmad.
He said a 16-year-old student has also been detained to assist in investigations.
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He said preliminary probe has revealed that the incident happened at the school hostel around 8pm in Friday.
"The victim was taken to the Kuala Pilah Hospital where doctors pronounced him dead.
"We are probing the case under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder," he said in a statement.
The police, he said, are also examining all facts and evidence to determine the actual cause and motive of the incident.
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He advised the public not to speculate, spread unverified information, or cause it to go viral, as this could affect the investigation and violate the privacy of the families of the students involved.
"The police take any incident of violence involving students seriously, particularly incidents resulting in the loss of life.
"The police urge any individual with information regarding the incident to come forward and assist in the investigation," he said.
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DCP Alzafny said the police's priority was to ensure that the investigation is conducted professionally, thoroughly, and based on evidence to provide justice to all parties.
Earlier, Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said her ministry would fully cooperate with the police to ensure the probe was conducted thoroughly and transparently.
Fadhlina said she had visited the school on Saturday (Sept 26) morning to meet its staff, officers from the district and state education departments as well as police, to obtain an explanation about the incident and the actions that had been taken.
She said she had also met the deceased’s family at the hospital to personally convey her condolences over their loss.
“The entire Education Ministry community extends its condolences to the family of the deceased.
Fadhlina said the ministry would comprehensively review safety aspects and compliance with procedures at the school.
“I have instructed the Education Inspectorate to immediately conduct an audit to identify any non-compliance,” she said.
She stressed that no party would be protected if misconduct or breaches of the law were found.
“No party will be protected if misconduct or breaches of the law are found.
"Appropriate action will be taken based on the findings of the investigation and in accordance with the prevailing laws,” she said.
The ministry has also provided counselling and psychosocial support services to the deceased’s family and school community affected by the incident.
