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Dr Annuar (left) paying his last respect to the late Joey Ling Lin Siang at Bukit Lima Mortuary, Sibu on April 8, 2026. Photo credit: Dr Annuar Rapaee FBAdvertisement
By DayakDaily Team
SIBU, April 8: Deputy Minister of Education and Innovation, Datuk Dr Annuar Rapaee, this morning paid his last respects to the late Joey Ling Lin Siang, who tragically drowned during a kayaking incident involving trainees from the Teacher Education Institute (IPG) Malaysia Perlis Campus.
The 20-year-old’s body arrived in Sibu yesterday evening (April 7) at about 6.30pm, accompanied by her grieving family, including her father Ling Yii Yong and mother Kee Ling Ling.
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“May they be strong in facing the challenges of this very sad incident,” Dr Annuar said, expressing his condolences to the family in a post shared on his social media.
According to Suara Sarawak, the flight carrying Joey’s coffin landed at Sibu Airport, where her body was carefully brought out of the cargo terminal.
Family members and close friends waited silently, their faces heavy with sorrow. As the coffin was lifted into a van, her father and two elder siblings softly called out, “Joey, our child, we’re home,” a moment that left many present visibly heartbroken.
Her mother walked alongside under an umbrella, her grief and exhaustion evident after several days of travel and the immense burden of losing a child.
Funeral staff, relatives, and officials from the Sarawak Education Department and IPG Rajang Campus were also present to pay their final respects.
The Sibu District Education Officer, Ahli Chikba, representing the Sarawak Education Department and Sibu District Education Office, offered condolences to the family, showing solidarity in this time of mourning.
Joey, a native of Sibu, had been studying at the institute for just over a year. She had recently returned home during the Hari Raya Aidilfitri holidays but tragedy struck less than a week after resuming her studies.
Upon arrival in Sibu, her body was taken to Bukit Lima Mortuary, where family and friends gathered to pay their final respects. The funeral is scheduled for April 9 (Thursday).
Joey was one of two Sarawakian trainee teachers who drowned during an off-campus education programme at Pantai Merdeka near Sungai Petani, Kedah, on Saturday (April 4).
The other victim, 21-year-old Christopher Ling Jia Siang from Kuching, also lost his life in the incident. His remains arrived home at 4.35pm and were taken to Chan Funeral Parlor at 5th Mile in Kuching.
Both trainees were reported missing around 6pm and were later found at 7.30pm, still wearing life jackets. Preliminary investigations suggest that their kayak capsized due to rough sea conditions, and the victims were later discovered entangled in a local fisherman’s net. — DayakDaily
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