THE public and media will be allowed to follow civil proceedings over the fatal stabbing of schoolgirl Yap Shing Xuen, but the identity of the teenage boy involved must remain protected under safeguards ordered by the Kuala Lumpur High Court.
Judge Datuk P Anand rejected the teenager’s application to have the entire proceedings conducted behind closed doors, ruling that protecting a minor did not justify a blanket restriction on media reporting.
He said the court had to balance the teenager’s protection from harassment and psychological pressure with the principle of open justice and the public’s right to know how the case was handled.
“Although the minor must be protected, I see no reason to impose a blanket restriction on media reporting. The public also has an interest in knowing what happens in these proceedings and the court’s decision,” he said today.
The judge said the teenager’s lawyers could apply for specific witnesses to testify in camera if their evidence risked revealing his identity.
The court also barred public access to documents filed by the parties up to Thursday because they contained the teenager’s name and personal details. The documents may be accessed only after those details have been redacted.
The civil suit was filed by Yap’s family, who named several government agencies, the teenager and his parents as defendants.
The family alleges that the government agencies had a legal duty to take appropriate measures to address mental health issues in schools. It also claims there were warning signs before the incident and that the teenager’s parents were responsible for ensuring he did not pose a danger to others.
Yap, 16, died after being stabbed at a school in Bandar Utama on Oct 14 last year.
On Sept 14, the Shah Alam High Court acquitted the teenager, then aged 15, of murdering Yap after finding that he was of unsound mind at the time of the incident. He was subsequently ordered to be detained at Hospital Bahagia Ulu Kinta in Perak for treatment, with the consent of the Sultan of Selangor.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers said on Sept 24 that a notice of appeal had been filed against the acquittal. - October 22, 2026