The family of Form Four student Yap Shing Xuen, who died in a tragic incident at a school on October 14, has filed a civil suit against 18 parties, including the Malaysian government, at the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
According to Malay Mail, the suit was filed by Shing Xuen’s mother, Wong Lee Ping, and elder sister, who claimed that the alleged failure of the teenager’s parents, school authorities and government agencies to fulfil their duties contributed to the 16-year-old’s death.
Named as defendants are the teenage boy involved in the incident, his parents, as well as several school authorities, including his class teacher, principal and teachers responsible for counselling and student affairs.
The suit also names officers from the Petaling Utama District Education Office, the Selangor Education director, the director-general of Education, the Education Minister, the Registrar-General of Educational Institutions and Teachers, the Health director-general, the Health Minister, the Women, Family and Community Development Minister and the Malaysian government.
As administrator of Shing Xuen’s estate, Lee Ping is seeking RM120,602 in special damages for her daughter’s funeral expenses from all defendants jointly and severally.
She is also seeking general damages to be assessed by the High Court, together with any other relief the court deems fit and appropriate.
According to court documents seen by Malay Mail, Lee Ping claimed the killing could have been prevented if the teenager’s family and the government agencies named in the suit had taken appropriate preventive measures.
She alleged that the first defendant, the teenage boy, had displayed mental health problems since at least 2020.
Lee Ping further claimed that it was reasonably foreseeable to the boy’s parents that their son had mental health problems and could pose a threat to himself or others.
She alleged similar responsibility fell on the school authorities after the teenager enrolled at the school in or around 2024.
According to the statement of claim, the teenager’s parents allegedly failed to fulfil their responsibilities and ensure that he received appropriate medical treatment.
Lee Ping also alleged that the government agencies failed to properly implement relevant policies, which she claimed could have resulted in students with mental health problems posing safety risks to others, including physical harm.
The family’s claims against the school authorities and government agencies are based on alleged negligence, she said.
Lee Ping claimed early intervention could have been carried out if appropriate measures had been taken to identify the teenager’s problems at an earlier stage.
Among the measures cited was a more detailed assessment of his mental health, including psychiatric evaluation, which could have resulted in a decision to remove him from school temporarily until any safety risks to other students had been appropriately addressed.
Lee Ping also said the sudden and senseless loss of her daughter had caused her deep grief, particularly as she had raised Shing Xuen as a single mother.
She claimed she had been unable to fully concentrate on her work since the incident, resulting in reduced income and affecting her ability to support the family.
As for Shing Xuen’s sister, Lee Ping said her daughter, who is pursuing higher education, had also struggled to concentrate on her studies, affecting her academic performance.
She said both of them were still struggling to come to terms with the shock of the incident and were not yet mentally prepared to seek professional health assistance to address the trauma they had experienced.
Lawyer Surendra Ananth, who represents the family, said the suit has been fixed for case management on October 29.
