Student Dies at School Hostel: Police Arrest 16-Year-Old

SEREMBAN: Police have confirmed the death of a 14-year-old male student who was believed to have been involved in an incident that caused injuries at a school hostel in the Kuala Pilah district, Negeri Sembilan.

The Negeri Sembilan Police Chief said in a statement that the victim was taken to Kuala Pilah Hospital, where he was pronounced dead.

Preliminary investigations found that the incident occurred at about 8pm on Friday at a school hostel in Kuala Pilah.

Following the incident, police opened an investigation under Section 302 of the Penal Code and arrested a 16-year-old male student to assist investigations.

Police said investigations are ongoing to examine all facts and evidence to determine the exact cause and motive behind the incident.

Meanwhile, MARA Chairman Datuk Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki expressed sadness over the student’s death in a social media post and called for an immediate and transparent investigation.

“This morning, I am deeply saddened and affected by the news of the death of a male student from a secondary school in Kuala Pilah who was allegedly a victim of bullying. The matter must be investigated immediately and transparently, and firm action must be taken,” he said.

In a related development, Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Za’ba Parent-Teacher Association (PIBG) President Abd Malek Abd Ghani urged all parties to allow police to conduct a thorough investigation and to avoid speculation that could interfere with the investigation.

He said various claims about the incident were circulating on social media, but their authenticity had yet to be verified.

“I urge the public to be patient as the investigation has already begun, and we must all be cautious about posts on social media,” he told Utusan Malaysia.

Abd Malek said SMK Za’ba is a State Sports School (SSN) with about 315 students and participates in several sports, including football, hockey, sepak takraw, athletics, netball and archery.

He said the victim, identified as Muhammad Idlan Fareeq Shahril, was a young school athlete in archery.

He also said that no bullying cases had been reported at the school hostel so far this year.

Police advised the public not to speculate, spread unverified information or circulate such content online, as it could jeopardise the investigation and the privacy of the families of the students involved.

Astro Awani