IPOH, April 6 — The Ministry of Education (MoE) has ordered all Teacher Education Institute (IPG) campuses to temporarily suspend water and adventure activities following a drowning incident involving two students from the institute.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the directive is effective immediately until further notice, according to a Bernama report today.
“This is an immediate action to ensure that the parents of our IPG students remain calm and that the MoE can respond promptly,” he said at a press conference after handing over new buses to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Raja Permaisuri Bainun here today.
Last Saturday, two students from IPG Perlis, Christopher Ling Jia Siang, 21, and Joey Ling Lin Siang, 20, were found drowned at about 7.30pm while participating in kayaking activities at Pantai Merdeka near Sungai Petani.
Wong said the ministry is investigating the case from all aspects and has handed it over to the police for a detailed probe.
“Police investigations are ongoing, and the MoE’s internal review is also underway. We will submit the matter to the police for their investigation, but our internal review will cover all angles and issues that arise. I have also visited IPG Perlis to meet the students involved and hear their accounts of the incident,” he said.
Separately, Wong said the handover of a new 40-seat bus to SMK Raja Permaisuri Bainun is part of the MoE’s effort to address current school needs, replacing an old bus that had been in use for over three decades.
At the event, Wong also announced an allocation of RM50,000 to improve the school’s surau, as requested by the school administration.
