SHAH ALAM, Oct 4 — The family of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, who was fatally stabbed at a secondary school in Bandar Utama last year, has filed a lawsuit against the alleged attacker, his parents, the school authorities, and government agencies, claiming negligence contributed to her death.
The Malay Mail reported that the suit was filed at the High Court on Oct 1 by Yap’s mother Wong Lee Ping and her sister Yap Shing Tong, with 18 defendants named.
They include the boy accused of the killing, his parents, the school principal, teachers, including those responsible for counselling and student affairs, as well as officers from the Petaling Utama District Education Office and senior officials from the Education and Health Ministries.
Wong claimed the death could have been prevented if the boy’s family, school authorities and relevant government agencies had taken appropriate preventive measures.
“The first defendant (the boy) had been displaying mental health illness since at least 2020.
“It was reasonably foreseeable by the second and third defendants (the boy’s parents) that the boy had mental health issues and that he could pose a threat to himself and others.
“The same would apply to the fourth and ninth defendants (the school authorities) when the boy had enrolled in the school in or around 2024,” she said.
Wong alleged that the boy’s parents failed in their duty as parents and guardians, including by failing to ensure he received proper medical attention.
She also claimed the government agencies had failed to properly implement relevant policies, which could have allowed students with mental health conditions who posed a safety risk to be identified earlier.
According to the claim, early intervention could have included a more detailed assessment of the boy’s mental health, including a psychiatric assessment, and potentially removing him from school until the risk to other students was addressed.
Wong is seeking RM120,602 in special damages for her daughter’s funeral expenses, as well as general damages to be assessed by the High Court and other relief deemed appropriate.
She said the loss had caused her immense grief and affected her ability to work and earn an income as the family’s main breadwinner.
Wong’s daughter, Shing Tong, who is pursuing tertiary education, also claimed that the incident had affected her ability to concentrate on her studies and her academic performance.
The family said they were still dealing with the shock and trauma of the incident and had not been ready to seek professional help for their emotional distress when the lawsuit was filed.
Lawyer Surendra Ananth, who represents the family, said the case is scheduled for case management on October 29.
