Government allows civil lawsuit by family of school stabbing victim to proceed
Deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran declines to comment on the case saying he does not have complete information about the matter.
Source: Free Malaysia Today · October 4, 2026 at 11:01 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-source
KUALA LUMPUR, 4 OCTOBER 2026 —
Deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran said the government and police will follow the usual procedures unless something extraordinary occurs.
Market Impact
PETALING JAYA: The government will allow the civil suit filed by the family of teenager Yap Shing Xuen to proceed in accordance with established legal procedures, says deputy law and institutional reform minister M Kulasegaran.
Kulasegaran, however, said he did not want to comment further on the suit as he did not have complete information about the matter, Bernama reported. “The government and police will follow the usual procedures unless something out of the ordinary occurs,” he told reporters after an event in Ipoh today. Asked whether existing laws needed to be strengthened to include mental health elements, Kulasegaran said the government was drafting new legislation on the matter.
He added that discussions were ongoing with relevant agencies and NGOs to ensure mental health issues received due attention, including among youths. “Greater attention should also be given to helping parents understand their children's needs, including issues involving mental health,” he said.
Yesterday, Yap's family announced that it has filed a civil suit against several government agencies and the parents of the 15-year-old male schoolmate who was charged with fatally stabbing her at a Bandar Utama School in 2025. They also named the boy himself as a defendant. On Sept 14, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted the 15-year-old boy of the girl's murder after ruling that he was of unsound mind when the offence was committed.
Justice Adlin Abdul Majid nonetheless ordered him to be detained at the pleasure of the sultan of Selangor at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak, where he would undergo treatment. On Sept 24, the Attorney-General's Chambers said it had filed a notice of appeal against the High Court decision. The boy was accused of fatally stabbing the Form 4 student in the girls' toilet of their school on Oct 14 last year.