Activist demands independent commission to probe student deaths

An activist has called for an independent commission to investigate school student deaths in the last five years, claiming that fresh allegations have now emerged in the case of a Form Five student’s death in Klang.

Taking to Facebook, Arun Dorasamy claimed that a source close to the case had alleged intervention from state education department officers, who purportedly attempted to cover up the incident.

Arun also shared screenshots of messages with redacted sections from the source, as evidence.

“The information alleges that the school did not contact an ambulance immediately, but instead contacted senior education officers first to seek further instructions, and the instructions received allegedly directed the school to clean the scene and destroy evidence.

“There were attempts to silence witnesses and conceal the truth from the victim’s parents and authorities, and there is a pattern of such interference at the state level in similar cases to avoid action against schools, even when students’ lives have been lost.

“If these allegations are true, this constitutes abuse of power, a breach of public service ethics, and a violation of parents’ trust in the national education system,” Arun, who is the legal, education and welfare director of Agamam Ani Malaysia, said.

Was negligence a factor?

In a press conference in July, the parents of the deceased student had urged for a thorough investigation to be conducted to determine the true cause of their child’s death on May 27.

Claiming there have been no developments in the case after a month, the family lodged police reports on July 2 and July 4, demanding investigations into the school and three pupils who were with their child on the day of the incident.

Arun, who represented the parents at the press conference, claimed the case raised various questions, including possible school negligence, delays in emergency treatment, and alleged efforts to cover up the truth.

He said the association was informed that the death of the 17-year-old pupil was believed to be due to poisoning. However, Arun said, there is a possibility it was not the cause of death, but rather due to delays in obtaining proper treatment.

M Gopalan, the student’s father, said through in a police report that he believes the school’s negligence contributed to his child’s death, and that the student concerned could have been saved with early treatment.

‘Minister must answer’

In his statement today, Arun also demanded that Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek answer whether such alleged discrepancies are the norm.

“The education minister must answer openly - is this practice commonplace? What guidelines direct schools to await instructions before saving lives?” Arun asked.

He also reminded Fadhlina that every student’s life is a sacred trust, and any action to protect negligence in the name of “safeguarding the school’s or ministry’s image is inhumane and unlawful.”

Arun urged for an independent and thorough investigation into the allegations, including an examination of communications between the school and any senior officers.

“An independent commission must be established to investigate all student deaths in schools over the past five years involving elements of negligence,” he said.

He also called for protection for witnesses and whistleblowers “so that the truth is not buried with those who have passed away.”

Yet another student’s death

The case of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found dead at a school dorm in Sabah, emerged shortly afterwards.

Yesterday, her mother Noridah Lamat, through lawyers, outlined four demands to authorities investigating the teenager’s death, lamenting that the police probe has “weaknesses and serious flaws”.

In a joint statement, Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri also demanded an exhumation of her body to identify the cause of death, and an inquest to determine whether criminal elements were involved.

They argued that the police probe into the student’s death was “narrow in scope and limited in focus”.

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