Education Ministry probes fatal IPG kayaking incident that claimed lives of two Sarawakian students

KUCHING (April 5): The federal Ministry of Education (MoE) has initiated an internal investigation into the Perlis Teachers’ Training Institute (IPG) off-campus kayaking activity on Saturday that led to the deaths of two Sarawakian students.

According to an Oriental Daily report on Sunday, the investigation aims to determine whether the activity complied with standard operating procedures (SOPs).

Quoting an MoE statement, the report said the probe will focus on activity preparation, risk assessment, and safety measures to ensure better protection for students in future off-campus programmes.

The two victims were identified as Christopher Ling, 21, former student of SMK Sg Tapang here, and Joey Ling, 20, former student of SMK Tung Hua, Sibu. They were students of Perlis IPG.

They are believed to have fallen into the sea while participating in a kayaking activity at Pantai Merdeka near Sungai Petani, Kedah, on Saturday.

The MoE has reminded educational institutions nationwide to strictly adhere to existing SOPs when organising outdoor activities to ensure participant safety.

It also said immediate assistance has been extended to the affected families, including psychosocial support, with a focus on their welfare during this difficult time

It also extended deepest condolences to the families and hoped that they could cope with the loss of their loved ones.

Oriental Daily said the coursemates of Christopher and Joey had clarified that they were not siblings amid speculations that they were blood-related on social media.

The incident has also drawn attention from a social media group, Sarawak Concern Group, which has called on relevant authorities to assist the families in seeking justice.

A post in the group reads: “Both deceased were from Sarawak and studying at Perlis IGP. They tragically drowned yesterday (Saturday) while participating in a kayaking activity. We have lost two future educators. The police are still investigating the accident. May the deceased rest in peace, and we hope their families can find solace and strength.”

Oriental Daily said four Chinese women were also involved in the same incident, and had received treatment at the hospital.

It was confirmed that the four, who suffered minor psychological trauma and were physically unharmed, had been discharged on Sunday morning.

Meanwhile, Kuala Muda police chief ACP Hanyan Ramlan said preliminary investigations indicated that strong waves and swift currents had caused several kayaks to capsize.

He added that the victims’ kayak was believed to have become entangled in a fishing net, making it difficult for them to escape.

The bodies of the two victims were found at around 7.30pm on Sunday, both still wearing life jackets.

Police have submitted their investigation report to the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to further determine the cause of the incident. The case has been classified as sudden death.

According to Oriental Daily, Christopher’s family has flown to Alor Setar to make funeral arrangements.