KOTA KINABALU, July 17 — The Sabah Education Department (JPN) today said preliminary investigations have confirmed the fall of a student in a Papar secondary school here but found no evidence of criminal elements or bullying in the incident.

In a statement, the department said the student was taken to the hospital for examination and treatment.

“According to the medical report, the student did not suffer any serious injuries and is currently in stable condition,” it said.

The department withheld the name of the school although it has been reported that it was the same school where a 13 year old student — Zara Qairina Mahathir — fell to her death almost exactly a year ago.

The department said it viewed the incident seriously and that the school had acted immediately by providing first aid, notifying the student’s family and the police, and securing the area to prevent panic.

“The student’s welfare, safety and emotional well-being remain a priority, and ongoing monitoring is being carried out,” it said.

It also said psychosocial and emotional support was being provided to both the student and members of the school community affected by the incident.

The department said it would extend its full cooperation to the authorities investigating the case.

They also urged the public not to circulate unverified information that could disrupt investigations or affect the well-being of the student, the student’s family and the wider school community.

The incident comes as the Coroner’s Court in Kota Kinabalu continues to hear the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina, who died on July 17 last year after being found unconscious on the ground floor of her school dormitory in Papar the night before.

Her death sparked nationwide outrage, anti-bullying rallies across Malaysia and intense public scrutiny of the initial investigation. The inquest into the circumstances surrounding her death is still ongoing.

Although the Education Department did not identify the school in today’s statement, the latest incident has inevitably drawn public attention because of its timing and the location’s association with the still-unresolved Zara Qairina case.