Killing of Yap Shing Xuen

On 14 October 2025, Yap Shing Xuen, a 15-year-old student at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara (4) in Bandar Utama, Selangor, Malaysia, was found dead after being stabbed. She had last been seen heading to the school toilet and did not return to class; a teacher later discovered her body, with bloodstains on her uniform and on the toilet floor. Student testimony indicated the perpetrator, a 14-year-old boy attending the same secondary school, was seen afterward walking around with a knife in hand while drinking from a water bottle. The school's graduation ceremony, originally scheduled for that day, was cancelled following the attack.

The Royal Malaysia Police classified the case as murder. Under Malaysian law the offence can carry the death penalty or 30 to 40 years' imprisonment plus caning, but the death penalty could not be applied because the suspect was a minor. Investigators stated there had been no prior interaction between the suspect and Yap, contradicting social-media speculation that the attack followed a romantic rejection, and found no evidence of school bullying. Police seized two knives from the suspect: a Marine combat knife engraved with "Sandy Hook 2012" and "Adam Lanza," and a karambit engraved with the name "Seung-Hui Cho." The High Court ordered the suspect sent to Tanjung Rambutan Psychiatric Hospital for a one-month psychiatric assessment; he was later assessed as fit to stand trial and transferred to Puncak Alam Correctional Centre in Selangor for further evaluation, with court proceedings scheduled for 6 February 2026.

Shortly after the killing, a handwritten note allegedly authored by the suspect began circulating on social media. Written mainly in Chinese with portions in English and Japanese Romaji, the note referenced the anime series Death Note and cited school shootings including Columbine, Virginia Tech, Uvalde, and Sandy Hook, alongside statements about seeking revenge against the school and society, and a declaration of love for Yap.

The killing drew statements of condolence from Malaysian public figures including former Youth and Sports Minister Hannah Yeoh and Nurul Izzah Anwar, and prompted a proposed constitutional amendment by the Malaysian Chinese Association to bar convicted criminals from party membership. Feminist activists, led by Ain Husniza Saiful Nizam of Pocket of Pink, organized a march from Taman Tugu Negara to the Malaysian Parliament on 22 October 2025, framing the attack as linked to incel subculture and femicide and calling for the resignation of the Minister of Education over handling of prior bullying and rape cases; politician Wan Ahmad Fayhsal Wan Ahmad Kamal reportedly attended. Investigators stated no sufficient evidence of misogynistic terrorism was found.

Yap's family held a five-day Buddhist funeral at Nirvana 2 Memorial Centre in Kuala Lumpur, attended by Nurul Izzah Anwar and Hannah Yeoh, who placed a Malaysian national jersey in her coffin in reference to her volleyball involvement. Flower wreaths were sent, including from the Yang Di-Pertuan Agong. She was cremated on 20 October 2025 at Nirvana Memorial Park Crematorium in Shah Alam, with her parents absent per Chinese tradition.