AMPANG, May 14 — It took the tragic death of an 11-year-old SK Ampang pupil on April 16 to solve a long-standing safety problem which had persisted over the years within the school’s compound.

Checks by Malay Mail showed the issue had been dealt with by the school and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) following public criticism of the incident in which Khairul Azrid Abdul Razak died after he fell into an uncovered monsoon drain in front of the school.

The opening, large enough for an adult to fall through, has now been grilled and padlocked, and students are no longer allowed to stay outside the school unsupervised. The school’s co-curriculum activities have also been switched to a later time enable parents to keep track of their children’s whereabouts.

Khairul was waiting for his mother at a bus stop when a schoolmate asked him to pick up a ball which had fallen into the drain.

Strong currents swept the boy away, and his body was found floating in a water reservoir at Kg Perembang in Keramat two  days later.

Although parents of pupils were relieved that their children were now in a safer environment, some said preventive action should have been taken much earlier.

Junaidah Dahlan, 33, said pupils were seen hanging around the drain after the incident.

“I saw it myself. I feared that any one of them could have fallen in as they were standing so close to it,” she said.

“I just wish that the authorities did not wait until a death had occurred to take action.”

She said the school should have requested the council to act months, if not years, prior to the incident.

She, along with other parents, had previously expressed concern over the school’s lack of supervision over its students.

“I send and pick my children up from school every day and each time, I see students playing unsupervised outside the school,” she said.

“Now they have placed school prefects to guard the gates and ensure no student leaves the school grounds once they are dropped off.”

Another parent, who only wished to be known as Maziah, 37, said the school had changed the time of co-curriculum activities from 2pm to 4pm.

“We were told that this way, if the session has been cancelled, the discipline teacher who will be waiting near the school gate can inform parents when they drop their children off,” said the housewife.

It is understood the principal of the school was issued a transfer order on Monday.