Murdered Yong Peng student dreamed of becoming doctor like late mother

In Batu Pahat, a 16-year-old Form Four student named Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal was murdered at her secondary school. The young aspiring doctor had expressed her desire to follow in her late mother's footsteps, who was a public health specialist before her death from liver cancer when Irene was only nine years old. Her father works as an engineer in Bangi.

Irene's aunt, Siti Nur Faeza Khyar, described the hardworking, quiet and kind student as someone who consistently excelled academically, ranking first or second in her form during examinations. She had the potential to achieve nine As in the upcoming Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia examination, according to her aunt.

When Irene's family could not locate her after her extra class ended at 5 pm, Siti Nur Faeza and her mother, Jameyah Rabani, began a search. Siti Nur Faeza recounted the harrowing experience of finding Irene in the dark school hall, injured and covered in blood, with no one aware of her plight.

Three male students, all aged 16, have been arrested in connection with the incident. One of the suspects will be remanded. Police are treating the case as a murder.