Education authorities ordered to expedite probe into teen’s death

PETALING JAYA: Malaysian Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek has instructed education authorities to speed up their investigation into the death of 14-year-old Keziah Nisha, who was allegedly the victim of bullying at her school in Kuala Lumpur. In a Facebook post, the minister expressed her condolences to the family and the school community following the tragic loss of the teenager.

She emphasized that matters such as bullying and racial slurs must be addressed promptly, stating that the ministry will collaborate with the police, social welfare department, and health ministry to thoroughly handle the situation. The teenager's family has been offered psychosocial support by the ministry's counselling team, and the Smart Support Team has been deployed to provide crisis intervention to affected students.

The death of Keziah Nisha has prompted calls for an investigation from various sources, including PKR Youth chief Kamil Munim, who highlighted the broader issue of racism in Malaysian society. If left unchecked, racial hatred among children could lead to a more significant societal problem, according to Munim. PKR deputy secretary-general G Sivamalar previously mentioned that the teen's family had reportedly lodged a complaint through the government's Public Complaints Management System several months prior to her death.