IRENE Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, the 16-year-old student found dead at a school in Yong Peng, Batu Pahat, on Saturday, died from traumatic head injuries caused by a blunt object, a post-mortem has confirmed.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M Kumar said the cause of death was established following a post-mortem conducted by a forensic pathology specialist at Hospital Sultanah Nora Ismail, Batu Pahat, yesterday.
He said police were conducting a detailed investigation into Irene Sofiya’s death and gave an assurance that no facts would be concealed from the public.
“PDRM also gives its assurance that the investigation will be conducted thoroughly, transparently and professionally without any element of a ‘cover-up’ or protecting any party,” he said in a statement on Monday.
Kumar said the investigation was progressing smoothly, with full cooperation from the school and the Education Ministry.
Police arrested a 16-year-old boy on Oct 3, the day Irene Sofiya was found dead. The suspect was remanded for six days from Oct 4 to 9 after a magistrate allowed the police’s remand application.
The case is being investigated by the Batu Pahat district police headquarters Criminal Investigation Division under Section 302 of the Penal Code for murder.
Kumar also urged the public to stop spreading false information and avoid speculation that could interfere with the investigation.
“The case is still under investigation and the public is advised not to speculate or make comments that could disrupt the investigation process or manipulate facts with the intention of causing public anxiety,” he said.
Irene Sofiya, a Form Four student, was found dead at the secondary school after her grandmother went to look for her when she failed to return home at about 5.30pm after attending an extra class.
The case has drawn widespread public attention, with police and the Education Ministry urging the public to refrain from circulating unverified claims while investigations continue.
Meanwhile, in Batu Pahat, the victim’s classmates have denied claims that the 16-year-old student and the boy remanded over her death were romantically involved, saying there was no indication of such a relationship at school.
A student who declined to be named said Irene Sofiya and the 16-year-old suspect were classmates but were rarely seen together at school.
“Throughout our time at school, there was no indication that they were dating or that either of them had feelings for the other. They each had their own close friends and partners,” the student told Utusan Malaysia today.
The student, however, said they could not rule out the possibility that either party might have had feelings for the other privately.
“But I do not know if either of them had feelings for the other. At school, there was certainly no perception that they were in a relationship or anything like that,” the student said.
Another student also rejected the claims, saying Irene Sofiya and the suspect appeared to have their own circle of friends.
“I do not know of them dating because I think they had other friends. Although I was not in the same class as them, we were quite close and often greeted and checked on each other at school.
“What I do know is that Irene was a good student and was also a candidate for a student award. We were saddened to see the allegations circulating on social media, because although we do not know what actually happened at the time of the incident, both were good people,” the student said.
Irene Sofiya was found dead at a school hall in Yong Peng on Saturday and the case is being investigated as murder. - October 5, 2026
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