Murder of Yap Shing Xuen

 

On 14 October 2025, Yap Shing Xuen (Chinese: 叶芯嫙; pinyin: Yè Xīnxuán), a 15-year-old Malaysian schoolgirl, was murdered by stabbing in SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), Bandar Utama, Selangor, Malaysia. The perpetrator, a 14-year-old student of the same secondary school, stabbed Yap to death using a knife.

Murder

Yap was last seen heading to the school toilet before the murder, and never returned to class. One of the teachers found her body, with bloodstains on her school uniform and the toilet floor. According to students' testimony, the murderer was seen walking around drinking from his water bottle with a knife on his hand after the killing. It was reported that the graduation ceremony, which was planned initially on the same day, was later called off after the attack.

2025	Bandar Utama Stabbing
Location	SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4), Bandar Utama, Selangor, Malaysia
Date	14 October 2025, 11 months ago (UTC+8:00)
Target	Yap Shing Xuen, and other school students and teachers (presumption)
Attack type	Stabbing
Weapons	Two knives, including one Karambit
Deaths	1 (by stabbing)
Injured	Unknow
Motive	Mental disorder, but allegations include: Anti-Social Behaviour, Misogynist Terrorism, Incel Ideology
Charges	1, Murder
Convicted	Not guilty
Litigation	Kitson Foong

Killer's alleged handwritten note

In October 2025, shortly after Yap's death, a handwritten note, allegedly written by the murderer, was circulated in social media which stated the murderer's motive of the killing. The note, mainly written in Chinese with some parts in English and Japanese Romaji, contains excerpts of the anime series Death Note, and notable school shooting incidents such as the Columbine High School massacre, Virginia Tech shooting, Uvalde school shooting, and Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting. The two-paged note read:

All of you are going to die!

Zero Day

All people from school and society are only NPCs— First page

Soda boku ga kira da ("That's right, I am Kira") I am the Justice, the hope of humanity, I will be the God of the new world

I'm the one insisting fear to humanity, currently I'm just a 14-year-old teenager

So how fellow NPCs? It's totally my winning! That's right! It's me! Winning!

It's not my fault, but the whole world... [REDACTED]

I love you Shing Xuen I will leave this world with you together

No matter what the cost, it doesn't matter. In this timeline victory is everything. Columbine Eric Harris Dylan klebold Virgina Tech Seung-Hui Cho Uvalde Robb Elementary Salvador Ramos Sandy Hook Adam Lanza

All the truth are in (my) phone

Password: CHSX8111222

Rubbish school, rubbish society, burn the school, defeat the teachers. I want to seek revenge in school

Investigation and trial

The Royal Malaysia Police classified the case as murder. The offence carries the death penalty in Malaysia or between 30 and 40 years of imprisonment plus caning; however, the former cannot be applied because of the murderer being underage. Initial investigation revealed that there was no interaction between the suspect and the victim before the attack, contrary to social media beliefs that the victim rejected the suspect's romantic advances. No elements of school bullying were found during the investigation. Two knives, a Marine combat knife with the words "Sandy Hook 2012" and "Adam Lanza" engraved, and a karambit with the name "Seung-Hui Cho" engraved were seized for investigation.

The suspect was charged on 22 October 2025. The High Court ordered the suspect to be sent to Tanjung Rambutan Psychiatric Hospital for a one-month psychiatric assessment. He was later assessed as fit to stand trial and was transferred to Puncak Alam Correctional Centre in Selangor for further evaluation. The court proceedings was scheduled to 6 February 2026. The defence witness, Dr. Ian Lloyd from Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, testified that the suspect suffered from schizophrenia and mental illness, and experienced delusions since he was nine years old. On 14 September, the Shah Alam High Court found the suspect to be of unsound mind during the incident and therefore acquitted on grounds of insanity. The court ordered him to be detained and treated at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta, Perak, at the pleasure of the Sultan of Selangor.

Public response

Many domestic leaders expressed their support and condolences in the immediate aftermath of the murder, including former Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh, and Nurul Izzah Anwar. Malaysian Chinese Association national organising secretary Leaw Kok Chan stated that an amendment proposal on the party's constitution to prevent convicted criminals from applying for membership.

Allegations of manosphere subculture

Several feminist individuals and groups condemned the murder, claiming that the attack was motivated by the incel subculture and femicide. Activist Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam, founder and executive director of the feminist non-government organization Pocket of Pink (POP), launched a demonstration march from Taman Tugu Negara to Malaysian Parliament Building on 22 October 2025 in response, which include activists and student movements. The group also demanded the resignation of Minister of Education Fadhlina Sidek over her mishandling of the case including previous bullying and rape cases involving secondary school students. It was also reported that politician Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal attended the demonstration.

Aftermath

Yap's family conducted a five-day funeral, conducted in Buddhist rites for her in Nirvana 2 Memorial Centre, Kuala Lumpur, which was attended by Nurul Izzah Anwar and Hannah Yeoh. Flower wreaths were sent to the funeral, including from the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong Sultan Ibrahim Iskandar. Yeoh placed the Malaysian national jersey in Yap's coffin, citing her active involvement in her school's volleyball team. Yap was cremated in 20 October 2025 in Nirvana Memorial Park Crematorium, Shah Alam, Selangor, with her parents absent during the cremation due to Chinese traditional belief of not encouraging parents to witness the burial of their children.

Following the acquittal of the suspect, Yap's mother, Wong Lee Ping @ Aapple Wong, appealed to the public to support a petition to urge the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) to appeal the court's ruling. At the same time, Wanita DAP urged the AGC to brief Yap's family on the court's ruling.

References

"16-Year-Old Girl Stabbed To Death In Bandar Utama School". The Rakyat Post. 14 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.

"Malaysia school stabbing: Handwritten note found on suspect alludes to love, revenge, anger". The Straits Times. 16 October 2025. ISSN 0585-3923. Retrieved 22 October 2025.

"Teen in fatal school stabbing to face murder charge tomorrow". Malaysiakini. 21 October 2025. Retrieved 22 October 2025.

"Regulate Online Games, Says Addiction Medicine Group After BU School Stabbing". CodeBlue. 17 October 2025. Retrieved 24 October 2025.

"Selangor school stabbing: 14-year-old boy charged with murder of female schoolmate, to undergo psychiatric evaluation". Channel News Asia. 22 October 2025. Retrieved 17 September 2025.

Hamdan, Nurbaiti (16 January 2026). "Fifteen-year-old accused in school stabbing declared fit to stand trial". The Star. Retrieved 17 September 2026.

"Malaysian teen who fatally stabbed schoolmate acquitted on grounds of insanity". Channel News Asia. 14 September 2026. Archived from the original on 14 September 2026. Retrieved 16 September 2026.

Rai, Arpan (14 September 2026). "Schoolboy acquitted of murdering 16-year-old classmate in case that rocked Malaysia". The Independent. Archived from the original on 15 September 2026. Retrieved 16 September 2026.

Kuang, Ye Jun (20 October 2025). "Over a hundred in 'final bow' as Yap Shing Xuen is cremated [WATCH]". NST Online. Retrieved 22 October 2025.

Ann, Sin Yi (15 September 2026). "Mum of Bandar Utama stabbing victim seeks support for court ruling review | New Straits Times". New Straits Times. Retrieved 16 September 2026.

"Wanita DAP urges A-GC to brief Yap Shing Xuen's family on acquittal | New Straits Times". New Straits Times. 16 September 2026. Retrieved 16 September 2026.