Teo Issues Stern Warning Not To Share Images Of School Stabbing

KUALA LUMPUR, Oct 16 (Bernama) -- Deputy Communications Minister Teo Nie Ching has issued a stern warning to the public against sharing images or videos of the victim and suspect involved in the fatal stabbing at a Petaling Jaya secondary school.

Teo emphasised that disseminating such content, including crime scene evidence, is not only deeply distressing for the affected families but also constitutes a criminal offence, in line with the statement issued by the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC). 

“I must advise all netizens that, in line with the MCMC's statement, sharing the victim’s and suspect’s images is an offence under the Child Act 2001,” said Teo. 

“The Act clearly stipulates that no one is permitted to disclose any images identifying a child, defined as any person under the age of 18,” she told reporters after paying her last respects to the deceased student at the Nirvana Centre in Kuala Lumpur today.

Teo further stressed that the circulation of such material is highly irresponsible, as it not only harms public sentiment but also compounds the suffering of the victim's family.

“I feel that the circulation of images showing the victim at the scene of the incident is profoundly distressing. When her friends see these pictures, it will only compound their grief.

“As parents and fellow human beings, we share in this heartbreak. We must all recognise that our actions can inflict further pain on the victim’s parents and family. Please, do not share unverified information,” she urged.

Commenting further on the role of social media, which is increasingly seen as a factor in bullying and criminal cases among youth, Teo said the government is in active discussions with social media platform providers to tighten controls.

“As mentioned by the Minister of Communications, we are currently engaging with platform providers. Many of them have their own community guidelines, stating that users must be over 13.

“But I’m sorry to say that a self-declaration system without robust age verification is ineffective,” she said. 

She emphasised that the responsibility to curb the spread of false information and inappropriate content lies not only with parents but also with social media platform providers as well.

“I received a complaint from the victim’s uncle, who informed me that an individual was falsely claiming to be the suspect’s father. I cannot remove such posts myself; the MCMC must request that Meta take them down.

“Sometimes Meta takes two hours, two days, or even two weeks to act. This is beyond our direct control. This is precisely why I consistently stress that social media platforms must play their part, as they are the ones who control this space,” she said.

On Tuesday morning, a 16-year-old female student was reportedly stabbed to death by a male student at a secondary school in Petaling Jaya.

-- BERNAMA