Family Of Deceased Sports School Student Demands Transparent Probe

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The family of teen athlete Zulfan Iqbal Zaiful is demanding a transparent investigation into the incident that led to the death of the Form Four student at Tunku Mahkota Ismail Sports School (SSTMI).
His father, Zaiful Ibrahim, 53, lodged a police report at the Jalan Tun Razak Police Station in Kuala Lumpur today, as he suspects elements of negligence and abandonment that caused the under-16 footballer’s death after he drowned nearly five months ago.
Zaiful said the Nov 25 incident has caused deep sorrow for his family and they are calling for the Education Ministry and police to carry out a fair, transparent, and thorough investigation.
He stressed that any accident involving the loss of a student’s life at a fully residential school is a very serious matter and should not be taken lightly.
“Any negligence in aspects of supervision, safety, and training procedures must be addressed comprehensively to prevent such incidents from recurring.
“The deceased's family is requesting the government, through the Education Ministry, to give full attention so that justice for Zulfan can be upheld for the dignity and safety of all students,” he said at a press conference after lodging the police report.
Also present were the victim’s mother, Sullaila Mahmud, 51, and lawyers Hafiz Imran and Imran Tamrin.
Discovered bleeding at bottom of pool
In his statement to the media, Zaiful said that based on information from the school, his son drowned during a rehabilitation training session at the SSTMI diving pool, which has a depth of 5m, on the day of the incident.
According to Zaiful, based on witness accounts, including the victim’s friends, the deceased sank to the bottom of the pool for 15 to 20 minutes before a swimmer at the scene pulled him out.
“When he was taken out of the pool, he was unconscious and had bleeding from the mouth, nose, and ears.
“The body was taken to the Bandar Penawar Health Clinic before being confirmed dead,” he said.
Zaiful added that since the day of the incident, the family has not received any feedback regarding the outcome of the investigation into Zulfan’s death from either the Education Ministry or the police.
“As of this statement, the family has not been called to assist in the police investigation," the father said. - Mkini

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