Students & teachers bid tearful farewell at wake of M’sia girl, 16, stabbed to death in school

Dozens of classmates, teachers and friends showed up on Oct. 17 to pay their respects at the wake of a 16-year-old Malaysian girl who was stabbed to death in a school in Selangor, Malaysia.

Yap was reportedly stabbed more than 50 times in a school toilet on Oct. 14.

A 14-year-old boy was subsequently arrested after teachers reportedly saw him wielding a knife in the school's assembly compound.

Teachers seen crying at wake

The wake service of the girl, Yap Shing Xuen, was held at Nirvana Centre Kuala Lumpur.

More than 20 teachers from Yap's school turned up in a group on Oct. 17 to offer condolences to the family, China Press reported.

Groups of students were seen arriving throughout the day, some in their school uniforms, to pay their respects, New Straits Times (NST) reported.

Many carried bouquets of white flowers which they placed near Yap's portrait.

A teacher who taught Yap Bahasa Melayu was seen breaking down after seeing the deceased girl, The Star reported.

She was comforted by another teacher.

Many teachers remembered Yap as a polite, well-mannered and helpful student, NST reported.

Politicians pay their respects

Various politicians also showed up at the wake, including Pakatan Rakyat (PKR) deputy president and Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim's eldest daughter, Nurul Izzah.

Speaking to reporters on Oct. 17, Nurul Izzah conveyed her condolences to the family and called for compassion and restraint in addressing the Oct. 14 tragedy.

"This is a mission for all of us, parents, the government, the security agencies, and the community, to create a safe environment for our children, whether in school or anywhere else," she said, as quoted by NST.

The Istana Negara also sent a wreath to the centre, conveying condolences from Sultan Ibrahim, King of Malaysia and the Queen of Malaysia to Yap's family, The Star reported.

Background  

Yap was allegedly stabbed to death at around 9:10am on Oct. 14 at a secondary school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya.

Her family managed to claim the body at 7:30am on Oct. 15 following a post-mortem.

The police did not confirm if the victim sustained more than 50 knife wounds in the attack, but said her torso and neck were injured.

Initial investigations found that the victim had suffered multiple stab wounds.

A 14-year-old boy has been detained in connection with the case.

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Top image from family of deceased/Sin Chew Daily