3 students arrested over alleged murder of 16-year-old female schoolmate in Johor

KUALA LUMPUR: Three male students were arrested over the alleged murder of a female schoolmate at a secondary school in Johor, as Malaysia Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim called for a swift probe on Sunday (Oct 4).  

Irene Sofiya Mohd Khairool Faisal, 16, died after being found unconscious and covered in blood in a school hall in Yong Peng on Saturday, Bernama reported. Other media outlets reported that she was found dead or that she was initially responsive when found.

One of the three suspects, who are all 16, was brought to the Magistrate's Court in Johor on Sunday morning, where a six-day remand order was granted until Oct 9. 

The boy had no previous criminal record, according to Johor police chief Ab Rahaman Arsad. The status of the other two suspects is unclear.

In a Facebook post on Sunday, Anwar said he had instructed the authorities to conduct an immediate, thorough and transparent investigation to identify the cause of the incident. 

"If there are criminal elements, firm action must be taken in accordance with the law," he said.

"The safety of our children is a shared responsibility. The government will not compromise in ensuring their safety and well-being are always protected.” 

Anwar also extended his condolences to tto the victim's family and relatives. 

Police arrested the three suspects just hours after the victim's body was found, reported The Star. 

The case is being investigated for murder under Section 302 of the Penal Code.

"An autopsy was conducted today at Sultanah Nora Ismail Hospital in Batu Pahat," Ab Rahaman said on Sunday, Bernama reported. 

"The victim sustained several injuries to her head and body and was pronounced dead at the scene."

Ab Rahaman said that the motive and circumstances surrounding the incident have yet to be established. 

Irene was found by her grandmother, who went to the school after becoming concerned when her granddaughter had not returned home by 5.30pm, The New Straits Times (NST) reported. 

"SOMEONE THE FAMILY AND SCHOOL HAD HIGH HOPES FOR": AUNT 

Irene's aunt Siti Nur Faeza Khyar told NST that she and her mother had searched for her after she failed to return home from an extra class that ended at 5pm.

"I cannot imagine the pain and suffering she endured before we found her. Imagine her in pain and covered in blood inside the dark school hall, with no one knowing what she was going through," she said at the girl's home in Kampung Parit Selamat.

"It was extremely cruel of the perpetrator. We hope the person responsible is punished."

Faeza said her niece had aspired to follow in her late mother's footsteps and become a doctor. 

"(Irene) asked me what type of doctor she could be. I suggested becoming an obstetrics and gynaecology specialist," she told NST.

Faeza described her niece as a hardworking, quiet and kind student who consistently excelled academically.

"Whenever there were examinations, (she) would rank first or second in her form," she added.

"She was someone the family and school had high hopes for. She really enjoyed studying and was highly focused on her education."

Irene was understood to have been living with her grandmother after her mother died of cancer some time ago, while her father works in Kuala Lumpur.

The 16-year-old victim was among her school’s top students, a classmate who declined to be named told NST.

"We can still picture her face and never imagined we would lose her," the classmate told NST.  

Earlier this month,  a 15-year-old boy who stabbed and killed his schoolmate at a secondary school in Malaysia's Selangor state last October was ruled to be of unsound mind and acquitted of murder.