School stabbing: Court orders teen to defend himself against murder charge

 

The Shah Alam High Court has ordered a 15-year-old boy to defend himself against a murder charge for killing his schoolmate at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4) last year.

Judge Adlin Abdul Majid delivered her decision this morning, in a closed proceeding as the accused is a minor, after finding that the prosecution successfully established a prima facie case.

The boy’s lawyer, Kitson Foong, informed the media that the court found credible evidence had proven the essential ingredient of the offence at the end of the prosecution stage.

Foong also confirmed the defence stage trial will proceed immediately, with two witnesses called to testify.

The trial began on Aug 3, with 11 witnesses called over six days of proceedings.

The boy being restrained after the stabbing on Oct 14, 2025

The prosecution, led by deputy public prosecutor Raja Zaizul Faridah Raja Zaharudin, rested its case on Tuesday (Aug 11).

‘Over 180 stab wounds’

New Straits Times reported that one of the prosecution’s witnesses, Universiti Malaya Medical Centre forensic pathologist Dr Koo Zhao Peng, confirmed the accused’s victim sustained over 180 stab and incised wounds to her torso.

The witness also testified that the victim’s major blood vessels in her neck were also injured, and that her cause of death was multiple stab wounds to the neck and chest.

The prosecution also tendered three knives as exhibits during the trial.

The boy was charged at the Petaling Jaya Magistrates’ Court on Oct 22 last year under Section 302 of the Penal Code with killing his 16-year-old schoolmate on Oct 14 - between 9.20am and 9.35am.

However, no plea was recorded at that time, as murder cases fall under the High Court’s jurisdiction.

The charge carries a death penalty, or a maximum of 30 years’ imprisonment and a maximum of 12 strokes of the cane.

He then pleaded not guilty when the case was brought before the Shah Alam High Court on Feb 12 this year.

The late Yap Shing Xuen’s funeral

The victim, Yap Shing Xuen, was fatally stabbed at the school’s girls’ toilet. She was laid to rest on Oct 20. - Mkini