MOE takes full responsibility, vows justice in probe of two Sarawak trainee teachers’ drowning

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By DayakDaily Team

KUHCING, April 7:The Ministry of Education (MOE) has taken full responsibility for the drowning of two trainee teachers from Sarawak, assuring that a transparent, thorough and comprehensive investigation is currently underway to ensure justice for the victims and their families.

In a statement today, Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek said no parties would be shielded if wrongdoing is uncovered, stressing that any breach of regulations would be met with firm action.

The two victims, Christopher Ling Jia Siang and Joey Ling Lin Siang, were trainee teachers from the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) Perlis Campus who were involved in the incident while participating in an off-campus education programme.

Fadhlina had earlier on Monday (April 6) visited Hospital Sultanah Bahiyah to pay her last respects to both victims and met with their immediate family members to convey her condolences on behalf of the ministry.

“In the interim, several officers directly involved in organising the programme have been temporarily placed at the Perlis State Education Department pending the outcome of the investigation.

“The ministry is also reviewing standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the organisation of outdoor activities across all institutions under its purview, with a focus on strengthening safety measures to prevent similar incidents in the future,” she said.

The incident occurred around 6pm on Saturday (April 4), where the two trainees were reported missing during an off-campus programme at Pantai Merdeka near Sungai Petani, Kedah.

The victims, 21-year-old Christopher Ling and 20-year-old Joey Ling, both Sarawakians, were later found drowned at 7.30pm. They were still wearing their life jackets at the time.

Kuala Muda police chief Hanyan Ramlan said preliminary investigations found that the kayak capsized due to rough sea conditions, with the victims later discovered entangled in a local fisherman’s net. — DayakDaily