Tindakan akan ikut prosedur, kata Kulasegaran susulan saman keluarga pelajar kes bunuh

M Kulasegaran, Deputy Prime Minister and Minister for Law and Institutional Reform, stated that the government is drafting new legislation to strengthen existing laws by incorporating elements of mental health support. In October last year, a 15-year-old boy was stabbed at a secondary school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, resulting in the death of Yap Shing Xuen.

The Deputy Minister clarified that his office does not wish to comment on the lawsuit at this time due to insufficient information available. The government's actions and the police investigation will proceed according to standard procedures unless extraordinary circumstances arise, he told reporters after a joint program with the Buntong community.

Asked if existing legislation needed strengthening to include mental health elements, Kulasegaran said the government is drafting new legislation on the matter, with discussions ongoing with relevant agencies and non-governmental organizations to ensure mental health issues receive appropriate attention, including among the youth.

Greater attention is also needed to help parents understand the needs of their children, including issues related to mental health, he added. The lawsuit was filed by the parents of a fourth-grade female student who died on October 14th last year against several parties related to the fatal stabbing of a teenage boy. Her husband explained that the legal action was filed on October 1st through solicitor Surendra Ananth, naming the relevant government agencies, the father of the teenage boy who stabbed Yap, and the teenage boy involved as defendants.

She said her family believes the tragedy could have been prevented if appropriate steps had been taken, particularly in addressing mental health issues among students.