The government will follow established legal procedures in relation to the civil suit filed by the family of Yap Shing Xuen, who died after being stabbed by a male student at a secondary school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, last year.
Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (Law and Institutional Reform) M. Kulasegaran said the government and police would proceed according to existing procedures unless exceptional circumstances arose.
He said he would not comment further on the civil suit as he did not have complete information on the case.
The family of Yap, a Form Four student who died on October 14 last year, filed the suit at the Kuala Lumpur High Court on October 1 against several parties, including government agencies, the parents of the male student and the student himself.
The family believes the tragedy could have been prevented if the relevant parties had taken appropriate measures, particularly in addressing mental health issues among students.
Against this backdrop, Kulasegaran said the government was drafting new legislation to address mental health issues, with discussions under way with relevant agencies and non-governmental organisations.
He said greater attention was also needed to help parents understand their children’s needs, including issues related to mental health, particularly among young people.
Kulasegaran was speaking to reporters after officiating the MADANI Kita Programme with the Buntong community in Ipoh.
