Sibu: Sibu Member of Parliament Oscar Ling Chai Yew has called for a review of standard operating procedures (SOP) for high-risk activities following a kayaking incident that claimed the lives of two trainee teachers from the Institut Pendidikan Guru (IPG) Perlis Campus last Saturday. He said the incident exposed weaknesses in safety management and warranted immediate action from the relevant authorities.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Oscar Ling emphasized the need for the Ministry of Education to coordinate and strengthen SOPs for high-risk activities, particularly those involving water-based and outdoor training, across all IPGs nationwide. He urged the authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the incident and to make the findings public, while also providing proper explanations to the victims' families.

Oscar Ling also proposed the implementation of a stricter approval system, which would include independent professional assessments before any activity is conducted. This system would consider weather conditions, environmental factors, and equipment safety, while providing clear guidelines to cancel activities if safety requirements are not met.

The incident, which occurred last Saturday, involved two Bachelor of Teaching Programme (PISMP) Physical Education students, Christopher Ling Jia Siang, 21, and Joey Ling Lin Siang, 20. They were found drowned at about 7.30 pm while participating in a kayaking activity at Pantai Merdeka, Sungai Petani, Kedah.