The grandfather of 16-year-old Irene Sofiya expressed deep grief and called for justice following the charging of her classmate for murder.
BATU PAHAT: The death of Irene Sofiya Mohd Kharool Faisal, 16, who was believed to have been murdered by her classmate at the hall of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Dato’ Seth in Yong Peng on Oct 3, remains difficult for her grandfather, Khyar Abas, 69, to accept.
Khyar said memories of his granddaughter still linger, and he still felt Irene Sofiya’s presence at home every day, especially when he saw her clothes and bedroom.
“Allahuakbar! I really cannot forget her. My wife and I spent a lot of time with her, so her loss is still deeply felt,” he told reporters at his home in Kampung Parit Selamat here today.
He said he could not bring himself to touch his late granddaughter’s belongings as every corner of the house reminded him of her.
When asked about the charge brought against the suspect this morning, Khyar said he hoped justice would be served.
“I hope the accused is given a punishment that reflects the gravity of his actions. However, that depends on the decision of the relevant authorities. We leave it to them to take further action,” he said.
At the same time, Khyar said he and his family greatly appreciated the concern and support shown by everyone, including non-governmental organisations (NGOs), the school and government agencies.
Earlier today, a 16-year-old Form Four male student was brought before the Magistrate’s Court here, charged with murdering Irene Sofiya.
However, no plea was recorded after the charge was read out before Magistrate Mustaqim Sukarno, as the case falls under the jurisdiction of the High Court.
The charge was framed under Section 302 of the Penal Code (Act 574), which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment for between 30 and 40 years and no less than 12 strokes of the cane, if the death penalty is not imposed.
The court fixed Dec 22 for mention pending the forensic and post-mortem reports.
Irene Sofiya was found unconscious and covered in blood at the school hall at about 5 pm on Oct 3 before she was pronounced dead.
Following the incident, the accused was remanded for six days from Oct 4 to assist in the investigation, after which the remand period was extended by another six days.