By Tan Sri Lee Lam Thye, Mrmber of Mental Health Advisory Council
KOTA KINABALU: The wake for 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, tragically murdered at her school on Tuesday, drew a massive crowd.
Family, classmates, and students from across Bandar Utama gathered to say goodbye.
Being there, I couldn’t help but wonder how this devastating event was affecting the students.
Close friends of Shing Xuen were visibly shocked, their faces etched with grief and trauma.
Beyond the immediate sorrow, what else might have been racing through their minds? The chilling thought that they, too, could become victims?
Some may now fear attending school, while others could suffer from nightmares, insomnia, or other lasting psychological scars.
This raises a critical question: could this tragedy have been prevented?
Perhaps, if we had been proactive in addressing disciplinary and other issues instead of being reactive.
While we relentlessly pursue academic excellence, have we neglected the mental well-being of our schoolchildren?
Cases of bullying, violence, and emotional distress have been surfacing for some time.
Recent reports reveal that a staggering six in ten youth experience depressive symptoms, and three in ten struggles with anxiety.
Depression, anxiety, behavioural disorders, and even suicide are increasingly common issues.
Given these circumstances, it is imperative that we—especially the Ministry of Education—adopt a proactive stance.
It’s a giant leap forward when Prime Minister Dato Seri Anwar Ibrahim announced that teachers will soon be mandated to use the rotan (cane) on recalcitrant students but subject to certain conditions.
This is a welcome step from the past on the way forward.
In addition, we must establish robust, year-round mental health programmes, ensuring that counsellors and resources are readily available to every student before they reach a breaking point.
Furthermore, discipline in schools needs to be consistent and firm, addressing disruptive behaviours such as fights, vaping, and cheating.
By prioritizing proactive mental health support and moral education alongside necessary security measures, we can move beyond simply reacting to catastrophe.
We can build resilient, fundamentally safe learning environments for all our students
