SIBU, April 9 -- Hundreds of mourners gathered at Bukit Lima Funeral Parlour here to pay their last respects to teacher trainee Joey Ling Lin Siang, who tragically drowned last Saturday.

The 20-year-old Teacher Education Institute (IPG) Perlis trainee lost her life alongside fellow trainee Christopher Ling from Kuching during a campus-organised kayaking programme at Pantai Merdeka, Sungai Petani, Kedah.

Among those present were family and friends, as well as some 50 trainee teachers from IPG Rajang, Meradong, Penghulu Ting Tien Huat, and Sarawak United People's Party (SUPP) Pelawan members.

The atmosphere in the prayer hall was sombre as Rev Sii Hee Tiong from Xin Fu Yuan Methodist Church conducted the funeral rites.

The cortege later...