BUKIT MERTAJAM: The Ministry of Education will prioritise overall safety measures in organising school sports activities to prevent incidents like the recent student death during a rugby tournament.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said her ministry will focus on ensuring medical teams are prepared for every sporting event organised in schools from now on.
“Actually, students have already been reminded about health aspects, and we have requested parents to provide health information to the school,“ she told reporters after officiating the Anti-Bullying Roadshow at Yayasan Aman, Penanti.
“For the future, our focus will be on overall safety, depending on the type of sport, as well as ensuring the presence of medical teams for each match.”
She said the MOE constantly reminds students and coaches about the importance of giving continuous attention to safety aspects.
The announcement follows the death of 16-year-old Muhammad Fauzan Mohd Sulaiman from Johor during the 2025 National Full Residential School Rugby Seven-a-Side Tournament last Friday.
Ipoh police chief ACP Abang Zainal Abidin Abang Ahmad said the victim collapsed suddenly around 10.30 am while preparing to enter the field for the second half.
The post-mortem conducted by Raja Permaisuri Bainun Hospital Forensic Department found the cause of death was internal bleeding from a right hip muscle tear.
The case has been classified as a sudden death report.
In another development, Fadhlina said the MOE is still awaiting instructions from the Ministry of Health on possible face mask requirements in schools following reports of increased influenza cases.
Claims had previously gone viral alleging several schools in Penang had made face masks mandatory to curb influenza spread.
State Youth, Sports and Health Committee chairman Daniel Gooi said influenza cases in the state remained under control. – Bernama
