BANTING, July 7 — A sense of normalcy returned to SMK Bandar Banting this morning as students resumed classes a day after a stabbing incident at the school sent shockwaves nationwide, but concerns among parents remained as they escorted their children to the school gate.
While security was visibly tightened at the school, with guards closely monitoring the entry point and managing traffic flow, parents urged for more stringent checks to ensure the safety of students and staff.
Some said their children were still shaken and traumatised by the incident and hoped for greater support.
Farah, 39, whose Form Three daughter was a primary school classmate of the stabbing victim, said her child remains eager to attend classes but was shaken by the incident.
“(My daughter) is not afraid. She said it is okay, but she is a little traumatised,” she told Media Selangor when met this morning.
Farah added that the incident could have been prevented with stricter monitoring, as the school gate is always open, allowing movement in and out of the compound.
She also suggested that schools collaborate with hospitals to conduct mental health screenings for Form One students, saying early assessments and medical records could help identify students who may need support before problems worsen.
Yesterday, it was reported that a 15-year-old schoolgirl was injured after being stabbed multiple times by another girl at a school in Banting. The Selangor Education Department confirmed the incident.
The police have since arrested and remanded the suspect for four days until Friday (July 10). The victim is in stable condition and is receiving treatment in the hospital.
Meanwhile, media reports said the suspect, who is believed to have attended the same school, had been absent for several months for medical treatment. The motive of the attack and the full chronology of the incident are still under investigation.
Hasnuddin Daiman, 56, whose daughter is a Form Five student at the school, said he was shocked to hear about the incident yesterday and that this was the first of its kind he had encountered throughout the years he had sent his children to the school.
“I am worried because my daughter studies here; what if the same thing happens again? My daughter was not traumatised, but she was incredibly shocked because she saw the weapon and blood,” he said.
Enhance security
Meanwhile, several parents urged the school administration to adopt stricter measures on access to the school compound to ensure the safety of students.
Retired civil servant Ramlan Salimin, 65, said security must be strengthened as parents place their full trust in the school once they send their children there.
“Those with no business at the school should not be allowed to enter and leave at will, as it opens the door to these kinds of unwanted incidents,” he said.
Ramlan also urged both the school and parents to remain vigilant following the incident, emphasising that ensuring students’ safety during school hours is a shared responsibility.
Private-sector worker Suhaimi Poon, 55, suggested practical changes to the school's daily operations, including stricter controls on visiting hours.
“The school needs to be vigilant, and the security needs to act more aggressively to ensure that unrelated people do not enter the school. Limit visiting hours, that is the safest way,” he said.
Media Selangor understands that the Education Ministry’s Smart Support Team, a psychosocial response unit comprising trained guidance and counselling teachers, has been activated at the school.
