Student found dead in Johor school

Malaysian police have arrested three 16-year-old male students in connection with the murder of a female student at a school in Yong Peng, Johor. The body of Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal was found in the school hall at around 5:30pm on October 3.

The three suspects, who attend the same school as the victim, were arrested just hours after the body was found. One of the suspects was remanded for six days, until October 9, after being brought before the Batu Pahat Magistrate’s Court on October 4.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has ordered a security audit of the school and denied several claims on social media surrounding the death. Fadhlina said the education ministry would cooperate fully with the investigation and investigate matters including school security and compliance with standard operating procedures.

Irene’s father, Mohd Khairool Faisal Khyar, has appealed to the public not to spread inaccurate information and said the family is leaving the investigation to the police and relevant authorities. He last saw Irene about two weeks ago and said she looked cheerful and was happy to be studying.

Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim has ordered the relevant authorities to conduct an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation into the incident. Anwar conveyed his heartfelt condolences to the victim’s family and relatives and stressed that strict legal action must be taken should any criminal element be uncovered during the investigation.

The school in question has not been named, but initial investigations found that while it had CCTV cameras, none had coverage of the area where the body was found. The education ministry will investigate matters including school security, CCTV coverage, and compliance with standard operating procedures.

Irene was found with dried blood on her body and bruising believed to be consistent with being assaulted. A post-mortem examination will be conducted to determine the cause of death.