Malaysia school stabbing: Hundreds attend funeral of murdered schoolgirl

KUALA LUMPUR - There were no words strong enough to hold the grief that filled the funeral hall.

On a grey morning, nearly 500 people – family members, teachers, classmates and friends – came together in tears and silence to bid a final farewell to 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, whose

young life was cut short

in a tragedy that has shocked the nation.

At 9.30am on Oct 20, the sound of soft prayers echoed through the hall at Nirvana 2 as loved ones gathered for the final rites. Her parents stood quietly in the hall, surrounded by relatives and friends, as they paid their last respects to Shing Xuen. Their faces were filled with disbelief and sorrow. Even from a distance, the weight of loss was palpable.

Among those present were more than 30 teachers and students from SMK Bandar Utama 4, many still struggling to come to terms with the tragedy.

“She was always smiling, always helping others. It’s so hard to believe she’s gone,” whispered a friend, as relatives stood nearby in tears.

As the clock neared 11am, the hearse slowly made its way out of the memorial centre. As part of the ceremony, 100 blue and white balloons were released into the sky in memory of Shing Xuen.

Friends and schoolmates stood shoulder to shoulder at the exit, some calling out softly, “Goodbye, Xuen...” as the cortege departed for cremation in Shah Alam.

Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh also paid tribute to the teenager, describing her as a “bright, active soul who loved volleyball and life”.

“As the nation bids farewell to our young Shing Xuen today, the ministry honoured her by placing our Team MAS jersey in her resting place,” she said in an emotional Instagram post.

“I told her mother, Wong Lee Ping, that I wanted her to have our national jersey, and she said Shing Xuen would have loved it. Sending our deepest condolences, thoughts and prayers to the family for their painful loss. Malaysia mourns with them. In the days to come, I will do whatever I can to fight the incel culture among the young,” she added.

The tragic incident took place at about 9.30am on Oct 14 at SMK Bandar Utama 4 in Petaling Jaya when a 14-year-old boy allegedly brought a knife to school and attacked Shing Xuen in a toilet.

The girl’s mother later revealed at a press conference that her daughter had suffered more than 200 stab wounds.

Police have since arrested the suspect, who has been remanded for seven days to assist in investigations. Following a post-mortem examination, police said the pathology report is expected to be completed within a month.

The wake for Shing Xuen was held at Nirvana Centre Kuala Lumpur’s Imperial Memorial Hall from Oct 16 for relatives, friends and classmates to pay their respects.

Many who turned up brought flowers, photographs and handwritten notes in memory of a girl remembered for her kindness, laughter, and love for the game she played. THE STAR/ ASIA NEWS NETWORK