Selangor School Stabbing , Teen Pleads Not Guilty to Murder of Schoolmate in High Court, Trial to Proceed

A 15-year-old student has pleaded not guilty to the murder of his 16-year-old schoolmate in a fatal stabbing that shocked Malaysia and drew widespread attention to school safety and juvenile crime. The plea was entered before the High Court in Shah Alam, Selangor, months after the deadly incident at a secondary school in Bandar Utama, Petaling Jaya, where the teenage victim was fatally attacked inside the school’s girls’ restroom.

According to court reports, the accused, who was 14 years old at the time of the alleged offense and has since turned 15, denied the murder charge after it was read to him in Mandarin before Justice Adlin Abdul Majid. As the accused is a juvenile, the proceedings were conducted behind closed doors in accordance with Malaysian law, with only the teenager’s immediate family and legal representatives permitted to attend. Authorities have withheld the identity of the accused because of his age.

Prosecutors allege that the teenager murdered the 16-year-old victim between approximately 9:20 a.m. and 9:35 a.m. on October 14, 2025, inside the girls’ toilet of a national secondary school in Bandar Utama. The victim later died from multiple stab wounds sustained during the attack, an incident that sent shockwaves throughout Malaysia and prompted renewed discussions about violence in schools and the mental well-being of students.

The charge has been brought under Section 302 of Malaysia’s Penal Code, which provides for the death penalty or imprisonment of between 30 and 40 years, along with whipping if the death penalty is not imposed. However, because the accused was under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged offense, sentencing is governed by Malaysia’s child protection laws, which prohibit the execution of juvenile offenders.

The teenager’s defense lawyer, Kitson Foong, told reporters following the hearing that his client understood the charge and wished to contest it at trial. The High Court subsequently scheduled the matter for further case management, during which trial dates are expected to be finalized. The defense has indicated that it anticipates the proceedings will last approximately two weeks once the trial begins.

Earlier this year, the court was informed that a psychiatric evaluation had determined the teenager was mentally fit to stand trial. Following the assessment, he was ordered to remain at the Puncak Alam Correctional Centre, a juvenile detention facility, while continuing to receive psychiatric treatment and counseling pending the outcome of the case. The finding cleared the way for formal High Court proceedings to move forward.

The tragic killing has deeply affected the Bandar Utama community, particularly classmates, teachers, and the family of the victim, whose death prompted an outpouring of grief across the country. Malaysian authorities have continued to emphasize the importance of protecting the identities of minors involved in criminal proceedings while ensuring a fair judicial process for all parties.

As legal proceedings continue, the case remains one of Malaysia’s most closely watched juvenile criminal trials. The High Court is expected to hear evidence from both the prosecution and defense before determining the teenager’s guilt or innocence. Until a verdict is reached, the accused is presumed innocent under the law, and the case will proceed through the Malaysian judicial system in accordance with established legal procedures.