IPOH, Oct 4 — The government will allow the legal process to proceed according to established procedures following a civil suit filed by the family of teenager Yap Shing Xuen, who died after being stabbed by a male student at a secondary school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, in October last year.
However, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform Kulasegaran Murugeson said that he did not want to comment on the suit as he did not have complete information on the matter.
“Actions by the government and police will follow the usual procedures unless something extraordinary occurs,” he told the media after officiating the MADANI Kita Programme with the Buntong community today.
When asked whether existing laws needed to be strengthened to include mental health elements, Kulasegaran said the government is currently drafting new legislation on the matter.
He added that discussions were ongoing with relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations to ensure that mental health issues were given due attention, including among youths.
“Greater attention should also be given to helping parents understand their children’s needs, including issues involving mental health,” Kulasegaran said.
Earlier, the media reported that the mother and elder sister of the Form Four student, who died on October 14 last year, had filed a civil suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court against several parties over the teenager’s death.
The student’s mother said the legal action was filed on October 1 through Messrs Surendra Ananth, naming several government agencies, the parents of the male teenager who killed Yap, as well as the teenager, as defendants.
She said the family believed that the tragedy that befell Yap could have been avoided if the relevant parties had taken appropriate measures, particularly in addressing mental health issues among students.
