23-year-old student dies after falling from Penang Bridge
A 23-year-old student from Pahang, Malaysia died on Sunday (6 April) after falling from the Penang Bridge.
Source: Penang Global Tourism
The incident is believed to have been linked to academic stress.
His body was recovered by rescue personnel around noon, nearly six hours after the initial report.
Vehicle found with engine & headlights on
According to Sin Chew Daily, authorities were alerted around 6am to the presence of a vehicle parked along the Penang Bridge.
Upon arrival, they found the car at the 5.4km mark in the direction of Butterworth, with the engine running and headlights still switched on.
The driver was not at the scene.
A search operation was launched involving the marine police and the fire and rescue department.
Around midday, a male body was recovered from the waters near the bridge.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
He was later identified as Jiang Haorong (name transliterated from Chinese), a third-year electronic engineering student at the University of Technology Malaysia (UTM).
The body was transported to Penang General Hospital for a post-mortem examination.
Police have notified the family and are continuing their investigation.
Father shares son’s struggles with internship pressure
Mr Jiang’s father told Sin Chew Daily that his son had always been academically driven and was pursuing a degree in Electronic Engineering at UTM.
Source: Sin Chew Daily
He described Mr Jiang as generally cheerful and talkative, showing no outward signs of distress or suicidal thoughts.
However, one conversation in particular now stands out.
Mr Jiang had recently been applying for internships, but all the companies required candidates to have participated in extracurricular activities — something he had not done.
He expressed concern that this would affect his chances of securing an internship, potentially delaying his graduation.
His father tried to reassure him, saying he could always return home and work with him in the family’s durian business if things didn’t work out, but Mr Jiang gave no response.
Family performs Taoist ritual at Penang Bridge
Mr Jiang’s father shared that he had recently purchased a Proton Iriz for his son to make commuting more convenient and spare him the trouble of relying on public transport.
After receiving the heartbreaking news, he asked his daughter to handle the arrangements for claiming her brother’s body.
On Monday (7 April), the family gathered at the Penang Bridge to perform a soul-summoning ritual, led by a Taoist priest.
A prayer ceremony was held the following day, ahead of the funeral and cremation on Tuesday (9 April).
If you or someone you know needs support, please consider reaching out to the following hotlines:
- Samaritans of Singapore Hotline: 1767
- Institute of Mental Health’s Helpline: 6389 2222
- Singapore Association for Mental Health Helpline: 1800 283 7019
Also read: 14-year-old student dies after falling from school in Penang, police find alleged suicide note
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Featured image adapted from Sin Chew Daily.
