Malaysia urges public to refrain from sharing photos of victim in school stabbing incident

KUALA LUMPUR - Do not share photos of the victim in the school stabbing incident on Oct 14, the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) has urged members of the public.

“We express our condolences to the family of the 16-year-old female student who died in a tragic incident at a secondary school in Bandar Utama.

“We ask the public not to share, repost or upload any content, including photos or videos, that feature the victim, other students, or the location of the incident.

“If such content has been uploaded, the public is advised to delete it immediately,” said the MCMC in a statement on Oct 15.

The MCMC also reminded the public that legal action may be taken against individuals who distribute such content under Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act.

On Oct 14,

a female student from a school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, died

after a male student allegedly stabbed her.

The incident is believed to have taken place at around 9.30am, after the boy reportedly brought a sharp weapon, believed to be a knife, to school.

Multiple photos believed to be of the girl have since been circulating on social media as condolences poured in from the public.

Malaysia’s Cabinet will discuss the recent tragic incident and the use of social media among children and teenagers, said Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim.

He said he would raise the matter at a Cabinet meeting to discuss safety and disciplinary issues in schools, including the use of smartphones among schoolchildren.

“We will have a meeting to decide on stricter action. There will be reactions to this, but this points back to the use of social media,” he said briefly to the media at the Finance Ministry on Oct 15.

Datuk Seri Anwar said the government should consider the issue holistically and focus on action regarding the use of smartphones and social media applications, especially among children and teenagers. THE STAR/ASIA NEWS NETWORK