PETALING JAYA: It was meant to be a day of celebration. The Form 5 students of SMK Bandar Utama 4, Petaling Jaya, were preparing for their graduation, their last day together before the SPM exams.
Then, jubilation turned to bloody horror.
A 16-year-old student was repeatedly stabbed in a shocking incident that left the school community reeling.
Chaos erupted in the school, and there was panic everywhere.
“The children were being briefed about their graduation when suddenly they heard screaming.
“They said someone had a knife. Everyone rushed into the school hall,” the mother of a Form 5 student said.
The students scrambled to barricade the doors of the hall with tables and chairs, and terrified teachers tried to keep everyone calm.
“Apparently, the culprit came banging on the door. There were teachers and students both inside and outside the hall, some hiding, trying to keep themselves safe,” said the woman who wanted to be known as Michelle.
Police have confirmed that a 14-year-old boy had fatally stabbed a 16-year-old schoolmate.
The motive behind the attack is being investigated.
A student who witnessed the incident said the suspect, armed with two sharp weapons, cornered the victim in the school’s female toilet before attacking her in one of the cubicles.
“A friend who was nearby immediately ran to get a teacher to help. The teacher rushed to the toilet and tried to kick down the door.
“After several attempts, she managed to break it open, but the boy escaped and started chasing other students with the knife,” the student recounted.
She said there was panic as the knife-wielding boy – his shirt covered in blood – burst into several Form One classrooms while still holding the bloodstained weapon.
“Everyone just started screaming and running,” the student said.
The commotion only ended when several teachers managed to restrain the boy and seize the knife.
“I was terrified when he entered our class holding the knife,” one student said.
Another student said the boy walked into his class after the incident but did not harm anyone.
“He came in holding the weapon, but he was quiet and only stayed for a while before leaving. We were all panicking and trembling in fear,” the student said.
Michelle said parents were allowed to collect their children at around noon.
The children, many of them in deep shock, were evacuated “in an orderly manner”, she added.
“You hear this kind of thing happening in the United States, not Malaysia. You never think it could happen at your child’s school until it does,” said the shaken mother.
“It’s frightening to think our children now have to look out for weapons in school.
“No parent should ever have to receive such terrifying news,” she said, urging the Education Ministry to strengthen security protocols in schools.
The ministry must take this seriously; this is not just about discipline anymore, it’s about safety, she added.
Her daughter, a Form 5 student and prefect, was among those barricaded in the hall.
While the girl appeared calm, Michelle said she and her husband would stay close to help her get over the trauma.
“She’s lucky that she’s safe, but we’ll be here to help her,” she said.
Another parent, Tong Whye Loon, 39, who was waiting anxiously outside the school, said he was considering moving his daughter to another school now.
“I’m definitely worried. This is a very serious matter that shouldn’t be taken lightly.
“We used to hear of such incidents happening in the West, but now it’s occurring right here in our own country, Malaysia. We must find a way to curb this issue before it happens again.
“Schools must be properly equipped, and teachers must receive training on how to respond in situations involving violence or the presence of weapons on school premises,” he said.
