THE Ministry of Education Malaysia (MOE) has ordered all Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) campuses nationwide to immediately stop all outdoor and water activities following the tragic death of two of its students in Kedah.
Deputy Education Minister Wong Kah Woh said the order was issued by the Director-General of Education Malaysia, Datuk Dr Mohd Azam Ahmad, as an immediate measure to ensure the safety of students and to allay the concerns of parents.
"This decision is effective until a new announcement is made by the ministry.
"This is an immediate action to ensure that parents of our children at IPG can remain calm and see a quick response from the MOE," he said.
He said this at a press conference after officiating the Bus Handover Ceremony to Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Raja Permaisuri Bainun in Ipoh, today.
Also present were Perak Education Director, Zulkafli Mohamed Mokhtar and SMK Raja Permaisuri Bainun Principal, Datin Khalilah Za'aba.
Commenting further, Wong said that the MOE is providing full cooperation to the police who are investigating the incident.
At the same time, he said, the ministry's internal investigation has also been initiated to examine all aspects, including the procedures for implementing the activities involved.
"As for the police investigation, we leave it entirely to the authorities. I have already gone down to the location to meet the students involved to hear and obtain information regarding the case," he said.
It was reported that two IPG Perlis Campus students, Christopher Ling Jia Siang, 21, and Joey Ling Lin Siang, 20, were found drowned while kayaking at Pantai Merdeka, Sungai Petani, Kedah.
Kuala Muda District Police Chief, Assistant Commissioner Hanyan Ramlan, reportedly said that the bodies of the two victims were found at about 7.30 pm on Saturday. – April 6, 2026
