Kedah education authorities rule out bullying in fall of disabled student at secondary school

EDUCATION authorities in Kedah have ruled out bullying or criminal elements in an incident involving a 17-year-old disabled student who fell from a school building in Kuala Muda district.

The Kedah State Education Department said the Form Five pupil was found lying on the ground floor area beneath Block A of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Taman Ria Jaya shortly after the conclusion of the school’s official assembly yesterday. The student was discovered by a cleaning worker.

“Preliminary investigations found no elements of bullying or criminal conduct detected thus far, as no other individuals were present on the upper level of the block at the time of the incident, given that all members of the school community were at the assembly area.

“However, further investigations are being carried out to determine the actual cause of the incident,” the department said in a statement today.

The student sustained injuries including a fractured arm and was found with blood around his mouth. Immediate assistance was provided before he was taken to hospital for further treatment. The school informed his parents without delay.

Preliminary checks of closed-circuit television footage indicate that the student is believed to have fallen from the third floor of the building.

Investigators also found two chairs in the third-floor corridor along with the student’s bag placed nearby, which are suspected to have been used to climb before the fall occurred.

The department stressed that it views the matter seriously and will extend full cooperation to the police to ensure a thorough, transparent and professional investigation.

“The department will not compromise on any elements of bullying or criminal conduct in schools should they be found to have occurred,” it said.

Media reports yesterday stated that the incident occurred at approximately 12.15pm and that the victim, who is a person with disabilities, suffered severe injuries.

Kuala Muda district police chief Assistant Commissioner Hanyan Ramlan was reported as saying that the police post at Hospital Sultan Abdul Halim received notification from the hospital’s Emergency Department regarding the admission of the seriously injured student. - March 3, 2026