Bandar Utama school stabbing: Family prepares civil match as mom asks if disaster might have been avoided

Wong Lee Ping, the mom of 16-year-old trainee Yap Shing Xuen, who was fatally stabbed at a Bandar Utama school in 2015, speaks with press reporters in Kepong on September 25, 2026, as the household revealed strategies to pursue a civil match.– Picture by Raymond Manuel

By Soo Wern Jun

Released: Friday, 25 Sep 2026 1:47 PM MYT

Last Modified: Friday, 25 Sep 2026 1:52 PM MYT

KEPONG, Sept 25– More than 11 months after her child was fatally stabbed at school, Wong Lee Ping is still asking a concern she can not put behind her: could the catastrophe have been avoided?

The mom of 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen stated the household is preparing to pursue a civil match as the criminal case relocates to the appeal phase following the Shah Alam High Court’s choice to acquit the teenage implicated on the premises of unsoundness of mind.

“Our legal representatives will be submitting a civil fit. Up until the criminal procedures are finished, we will not talk about the information. Our attorneys will discuss those matters later on,” Wong informed an interview today.

Asked whether the civil action would be submitted after the appeal or simultaneously, Wong stated the household meant to continue however had yet to identify when.

She likewise validated that the household was thinking about legal action versus specific celebrations, however decreased to recognize them, stating the matter would be evaluated in due course.

For Wong, nevertheless, the civil action is not merely another legal opportunity. Her child, she stated, is not getting home.

“I am not here today to look for resolution in the criminal case, since my child is currently gone.

“No matter what we do today, I will never ever have the ability to hear her call me once again. I will never ever have the ability to call her home once again,” she stated, breaking down in tears.

‘Were the indication seen?’

Wong stated she stayed bothered by what may have occurred before the stabbing.

“If there were currently some indication before the catastrophe took place, were those alerting indications seen?

“And if they were seen, did anybody in fact take enough action?” she stated.

Wong stated she was not asking schools to ensure that disasters would never ever occur.

“But I hope that whenever a kid reveals indication of threat, we do not wait up until another kid loses their life before regretting it and asking why no one stopped it, why no one might stop it.

“My child does not have a 2nd possibility,” she stated.

Wong stated she hoped her child’s death might rather provide other kids a much better possibility of being safeguarded.

“That is why I am continuing to stand here and speak today,” she stated.

She likewise questioned whether indication had actually been missed out on throughout the implicated teen’s very first 2 weeks at the school.

“For 2 weeks the trainee brought a knife to school, why didn’t anybody notification this? I believe it is really possible that other trainees understood.

“Why didn’t the school instructors inform the kids that if they observed anything unsafe, or if somebody brought a knife or something like that to school, they should inform an instructor?” she stated.

Wong’s spouse, How Boon Chin, who was likewise at journalism conference, worried the value of steps to avoid comparable occurrences in schools.

“School is expected to be a really safe location,” he stated.

From murder charge to appeal

Yap Shing Xuen was fatally stabbed at a secondary school in Bandar Utama on October 14 in 2015.

The teen implicated of eliminating her, who was 14 at the time, was charged with murder at the Petaling Jaya Magistrates’ Court on October 22.

The case consequently went through psychiatric evaluation before being moved to the Shah Alam High Court, where the trial was performed in video camera since the implicated was a small.

A psychiatric evaluation discovered him fit to stand trial in January. He pleaded innocent when the murder charge read once again at the High Court on February 12.

The trial started on August 3.

On August 13, the High Court bought the teen to enter his defence after discovering that the prosecution had actually developed a prima facie case.

The defence closed its case on August 26 after 2 witnesses– the implicated and a forensic psychiatrist– affirmed.

On September 14, High Court Judge Adlin Abdul Majid acquitted and released the teen after discovering that he was of unsound mind at the time of the offense, and purchased him to be positioned at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta for a duration to be authorized by the Sultan of Selangor.

The Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) submitted a Notice of Appeal at the Court of Appeal on September 22, challenging the acquittal.

Appeal puts High Court judgment under fresh examination

Kepong DAP MP Lim Lip Eng, whose workplace provided legal help to the household, stated the AGC’s choice to appeal revealed that district attorneys were challenging the High Court’s judgment.

“And to respond to a couple of concerns from the press reporters whether we or the member of the family concur with the judgment, I believe the federal government has actually addressed. The federal government disagrees with the judgment, for this reason the appeal,” he stated.

Wong stated the household was moved by the choice to appeal.

“When I heard that the AGC was enticing, I was really extremely touched since I felt that somebody was supporting me,” she stated.

She stated the household would now wait on the appeal procedure instead of effort to intervene in matters outside its control.

Wong likewise stated the household had actually not had the chance to gain access to particular documentary proof, consisting of federal government files and the medical report.

She for that reason decreased to discuss some elements of the case while the appeal was pending, stating the Court of Appeal must make its choice based upon the total proof.

Asked whether the household wanted to fulfill the implicated once again, Wong stated she had no objective of doing so.

“I do not believe I will satisfy him once again, there is no requirement for that,” she stated.

‘It seems like it took place just the day before the other day’

The passage of nearly a year has actually not made the loss feel remote for Wong.

She stated she had actually had a hard time to go back to work after her child’s death, continuing just due to the fact that her group was still there.

“We lowered our work. We worked more gradually and did less,” she stated.

“It feels as though this occurred just the day before the other day.”

For much of the previous year, she stated, she merely wished to rest and not consider anything.

“Just consume and sleep. The year passed like that,” she included.

Wong stated she had actually invested the year performing Buddhist prayers and routines for Shing Xuen, consisting of events marking the 49th and 100th days after her death.

She likewise scheduled 20,000 copies of Buddhist bibles to be printed and dispersed to temples.

Wong stated the household had to be mindful about how much of the case they went over with her other child.

“There are lots of things that I do not speak to her about excessive since it would disrupt her life and impact her, and it would likewise impact me,” Wong stated.

“Because in our present scenario, it seems like a 2nd injury for us.

“So I attempt to prevent exposing her to these things. I just go over concerns with her. Other things, I do not inform her excessive.”

Wong stated she was grateful for the general public assistance the household had actually gotten throughout the case.

“The public has actually revealed us a great deal of care and assistance. I am actually touched. I thank everybody and am grateful that individuals have actually revealed us this assistance,” she stated.

How stated the household would hold a different interview on the civil match again information were readily available.