By Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Chairman Alliance for a safe community
KOTA KINABALU: The recent drowning incident at Pantai Merdeka, which claimed the lives of two trainee teachers from the Institute of Teacher Education (IPG) Perlis campus during an off-campus programme, is deeply tragic and distressing.
This heartbreaking loss once again highlights the critical importance of safety in all outdoor and co-curricular activities organised by educational institutions.
While the Education Ministry’s move to review standard operating procedures (SOPs) for outdoor activities is welcomed, it raises a fundamental concern — why are SOPs often revisited only after a tragedy has occurred?
Safety reviews must not be reactive. They must be proactive, preventive, and continuous.
Educational institutions carry a duty of care towards students, trainee teachers, and staff participating in activities outside the classroom. This responsibility becomes even more crucial when programmes involve higher-risk environments such as beaches, rivers, waterfalls, hiking trails, and other outdoor settings.
Proper planning, risk assessment, supervision, and emergency preparedness must be mandatory — not optional.
One life lost is one too many. We have witnessed far too many drowning incidents and outdoor mishaps over the years.
Each tragedy should serve as a permanent reminder that safety must never be compromised for the sake of programme objectives, schedules, or convenience.
Therefore, the following measures should be strictly implemented for all outdoor activities:
• Comprehensive risk assessments before approval of any programme
• Clear and detailed SOPs specifically tailored for each activity
• Mandatory safety briefings for all participants
• Adequate ratio of trained supervisors and instructors
• Engagement of certified lifeguards for water-based activities.
• Monitoring of weather and tide conditions before and during activities
• Emergency response plans including nearest medical facilities
• Mandatory use of appropriate safety equipment
• Formal approval process with accountability at every level
SOPs must be established before activities take place — not drafted in response to tragedy. Preventive safety culture must be embedded within every educational institution.
Let this painful incident be a turning point. We must move from reactive safety to preventive safety. No programme is worth risking lives. Safety must always come first.
Because when it comes to safety, prevention is not just better than cure — it saves lives.
