PETALING JAYA: The mother of the late Yap Shing Xuen has appealed to the public to stop spreading rumours and wrong information about her daughter and her family.
During a press conference at Shing Xuen’s wake yesterday, Wong Lee Ping said her daughter sustained more than 200 stab wounds after being attacked in a toilet at SMK Bandar Utama 4 here on Tuesday.
Fighting back tears, Wong, 44, said online media had underreported the savagery of the attack when they stated Shing Xuen was “stabbed 50 times”.
“The truth is she was stabbed 200 times, from the neck to the lungs and also on her legs.”
Wong also appealed for an end to inaccurate and insensitive information about the case.
“My daughter is already a victim. Please stop circulating fake stories about how she died.
“She did not know the boy, had never spoken to him, and was not in any relationship with him.”
Wong described Shing Xuen as a bright, disciplined and loving girl who had just won second place in the IS KL sports event two days before her death.
“She was smart and independent, always organised and never gave us any worries. She was very caring and affectionate. She was such a sweet girl,” Wong said, sobbing.
She also warned those seeking to donate to the family using QR codes, as it was understood that scammers had substituted the genuine QR codes with falsified ones in widely shared notices about Shing Xuen’s wake.
“Please don’t donate through those links. If you truly care, just come here to pay your respects to my daughter,” she added.
Wong also addressed other false claims that her brother was related to the suspect.
“My brother, Wong Yoon Lim, accompanied me to claim my daughter’s body. But some websites said he was the father of the suspect. That’s not true,” she said.
The victim’s stepfather, How Boon Chin, 60, also expressed frustration over misleading social media posts.
“People are talking nonsense. I hope this stops. What happened is already heartbreaking. Some students are now afraid to go to school,” he said.
He also questioned how sharp weapons and mobile phones could be brought into school despite strict rules prohibiting such items.
“Phones are not allowed, but somehow a knife was brought in. The school must look into this seriously,” he said.
Yap, a Form Three student, was fatally stabbed at about 9.30am on Tuesday. The suspect, a 14-year-old schoolmate, has been remanded for seven days to assist in the investigation.
Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek and her deputy Wong Kah Woh paid their respects at 5.15pm.
Fadhlina was visibly moved, while Wong told the media that they were there on behalf of the ministry to convey their condolences and to urge the family to stay strong.
MCA Youth deputy chief Mike Chong also paid his respects during the wake yesterday.
The wake at Nirvana 2, Jalan Dewan Bahasa, Kuala Lumpur, will be held until next Monday.
