KUALA LUMPUR – The death of 14-year-old Keziah Nisha Govindasamy of SMK Danau Kota has once again raised serious questions about bullying, racism and the safety and emotional wellbeing of schoolchildren in Malaysia.
Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Deputy Secretary-General and Central Leadership Council member Sivamalar Genapathy said she was deeply saddened by Keziah’s death and extended her deepest condolences to the teenager’s parents and family.
She said initial reports alleging that Keziah had been subjected to bullying, ridicule and racially charged remarks were deeply concerning and must be investigated thoroughly, transparently and fairly.
“We must not prejudge the investigation. However, allegations that a child was humiliated or made to feel inferior because of her race, skin colour or appearance cannot be taken lightly,” she said in a statement today.
Sivamalar said Keziah was not the only child Malaysia had lost in tragedies involving schoolchildren.
She noted that in March 2024, a 16-year-old Form Four student died after falling from the third floor of a school building in Sungai Buloh. In October that year, a 13-year-old Form One student died after falling from a school building in Kuala Lumpur.
A month later, a 14-year-old Form Two student died after falling from the eighth floor of a school in Jelutong, Penang.
In July 2025, the country was again shaken by the death of 13-year-old student Zara Qairina Mahathir in Sabah, with subsequent inquest proceedings highlighting issues including verbal bullying, social exclusion and cyberbullying.
“Every case has its own facts and circumstances and should not automatically be classified as suicide. But the repeated tragedies involving school-going children, alongside concerns over bullying, emotional distress and mental wellbeing, are warnings we can no longer afford to ignore,” she said.
Citing findings from the 2022 National Health and Morbidity Survey (NHMS), Sivamalar said 13.1 per cent of adolescents surveyed had experienced suicidal thoughts, while 10 per cent had made plans and 9.5 per cent reported having attempted suicide.
“This is not merely a school discipline issue. It is a child safety and public health issue that requires a national response,” she said.
Sivamalar also said reports that Keziah’s family had allegedly lodged a complaint through the Public Complaints Management System (SISPAA) several months before the tragedy were serious and must be verified and investigated immediately.
She called on the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) to conduct a comprehensive and transparent investigation, including obtaining records of the alleged complaint and determining what follow-up action had been taken.
“If the investigation establishes that bullying, threats, racist abuse or any other offence had occurred, those responsible must be held accountable under the law,” she said.
She added that if an earlier complaint had indeed been made but was not handled appropriately, authorities must also establish where the system had failed.
“A complaints mechanism only has meaning when a complaint concerning a child’s safety leads to swift and effective action,” she said.
Sivamalar also called on the Education Ministry, Health Ministry and Women, Family and Community Development Ministry to establish a National Framework for Student Mental Health and Suicide Prevention, focusing on early detection and intervention, stronger school counselling services, safe and confidential bullying complaint mechanisms and immediate referral pathways to mental health professionals for high-risk students.
“Schools must be the safest place for a child after their own home. No Malaysian child should ever be made to feel inferior because of their race, religion, skin colour, appearance or background.
“And no child struggling with their mental health should be left to face it alone,” she said.
“Keziah, Zara and the other children we have lost are not merely statistics or headlines.
“Prevention must begin with the first complaint, the first warning sign and the first cry for help. We cannot wait for another child to die before we act.” -MalayaDailyToday
