3 students arrested following death of 16-year-old girl at Johor school

BATU PAHAT – Three male students have been detained by Malaysian police in connection with the murder of a Form Four female student, whose body was discovered at her school in Yong Peng, Johor, on Oct 3.

The victim, identified as 16-year-old Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, was found dead in the school hall at around 5.30pm, reported Malay daily Sinar Harian.

Police arrested the three 16-year-old suspects, who attend the same school as the victim, just hours after the body was found.

One of the suspects was remanded for six days, until Oct 9, after he was brought before the Batu Pahat Magistrate’s Court on Oct 4.

Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim ordered the relevant authorities to conduct an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation into the incident.

Expressing deep sadness over the tragic incident, Anwar conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family and relatives.

In a statement posted on social media on Oct 4, the Prime Minister stressed that strict legal action must be taken should any criminal element be uncovered during the investigation.

He emphasised that the safety and well-being of students remain a collective responsibility and reaffirmed the government’s commitment to protecting children in schools across the country.

According to a source, the victim had gone to the school to attend tuition classes.

It is learnt that the grandmother realised the victim was missing after one of her friends contacted her around noon to ask whether she was at home.

After learning that she was not at home, the grandmother rushed to the school and found the girl lying in the hall.

The teenager was found with dried blood on her body and bruising believed to be consistent with being assaulted.

The victim was believed to have been living with her grandmother following the death of her mother, while her father works in Kuala Lumpur.

Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad said a post-mortem examination would be conducted on Oct 4 at Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Pahat to determine the victim’s cause of death.

Earlier, the Johor state government had directed the state education department and Batu Pahat District Education Office to extend their full cooperation to police investigations into the case.

State Education and Information Committee chairman Muhammad Naqib Md Ghazali said the administration views the case seriously, emphasising that student safety remains a top priority.

“I have been informed of the incident involving the death of a 16-year-old Form Four student at a secondary school here on Saturday afternoon,” he said in a statement on Oct 4.

Expressing his condolences to the victim’s family, he added that the state government is leaving the matter entirely to the authorities to establish the facts surrounding the incident.

Muhammad Naqib instructed educational authorities to provide necessary support to the victim’s family and the affected school community. He also issued a firm warning against institutional violence.

“There will be no compromise on any form of bullying, violence or criminal acts that threaten the safety of the school community,” he said. “However, whether this incident involves such elements must be determined through official investigations rather than speculation.”

He urged the public and social media users to refrain from spreading unverified information or drawing premature conclusions that could disrupt ongoing police investigations or cause further distress to the family.

Ayer Hitam MP Wee Ka Siong said he was shocked and saddened by the news of the student’s death and conveyed his deepest condolences to the victim’s family.

“May they be given the strength and courage to get through this difficult time,” he said in a statement posted on his Facebook page on Oct 4.

Wee also said his team would do whatever they could to assist the family with whatever they might need following the tragedy.

The MP, who is also president of the Malaysian Chinese Association, urged the public to allow the authorities to conduct their investigation into the case.

“For now, let us give the authorities the space they need to conduct their investigations,” he said. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK