Malaysian Education Ministry Calls for Privacy for Family of Student Who Died During School Activity

The Malaysian Education Ministry has called for privacy for the family of Nuqman Naufal Shamsul Fadzli, a 14-year-old student who died during a cross-country activity at Tuanku Jaafar Science Secondary School in Kuala Pilah, Negeri Sembilan. The student had a congenital heart defect that was diagnosed in 2016.

The incident occurred around 9:30 AM during a school sports event, where Nuqman Naufal collapsed near the finish line. Teachers provided respiratory assistance, but the student was pronounced dead two hours later at the hospital. According to police, the student had been suffering from the heart condition since 2016 and was on medication from the National Heart Institute.

Negri Sembilan Education director Datuk Dr Roslan Hussin stated that parents or guardians must inform teachers or school authorities about their child's health status to avoid such incidents during extracurricular activities. He said that some parents do not provide this information, and schools may not have accurate health details about every student. In this case, the school and teachers were not aware of Nuqman Naufal's health condition.

Why this matters: The tragic incident highlights the importance of communication between parents and schools regarding students' health conditions. It raises questions about the need for more comprehensive health screening and information sharing policies in schools to ensure student safety during physical activities.

The case is currently classified as a sudden death, and investigations are ongoing. The district police deputy chief confirmed the incident details, stating that "the student collapsed about 50 meters from the finishing line and was rushed to the hospital, where he was pronounced dead after almost an hour of emergency care." The local assemblyman advised the public not to spread incorrect or negative statements about the incident and said the student's parents had accepted his death as fate.

Key Takeaways

• 14-year-old student died during school cross-country activity due to heart defect
• School unaware of student's pre-existing heart condition, not informed by parents
• Incident highlights need for better communication between parents and schools on health
• Case classified as sudden death, investigation ongoing, public advised against negative comments
• Education ministry calls for privacy for student's family, emphasizes importance of health screening