Suspect faces murder charge amid backlash over online ID checks

Move raises privacy concerns and does not address root causes of violence: Analysts

- Hazlin Hassan Malaysia Correspondent and Hadi Azmi Malaysia Correspondent

A 14-year-old male student was charged on Oct 22 with the murder of his 16-year-old female schoolmate, and will undergo psychiatric evaluation to determine whether he is fit to stand trial.

No plea was recorded in a closed-door hearing in the Petaling Jaya Magistrate’s Court, since murder cases come under the High Court’s jurisdiction.

The case has fuelled calls for tougher online measures to curb rising school violence, with Malaysia’s plan to require internet users to be registered using their national identity cards receiving backlash over privacy concerns.

The victim, Yap Shing Xuen, was stabbed repeatedly on Oct 14 in a case that has shocked the nation. Nearly 500 people attended her funeral on Oct 20.

The Malaysian authorities had previously blamed social media for the spate of violent cases involving students, leading the Communications Ministry to propose mandatory identity verification on social media platforms to prevent children below 16 from having accounts.

Communications Minister Fahmi Fadzil said on Oct 16 that Malaysia will require all social media platforms to implement an identity verification process via the “electronic Know Your Consumer” (eKYC) system.

Under eKYC, each social media account must be tied to an individuals government-issued identity card called MyKad. A similar system is already in use to verify online identities for banking and financial transactions.

Dr Pamela Yong from the Institute of Strategic Analysis and Policy Research (Insap) think-tank criticised the move, saying that true online safety is built through trust and education, not mass surveillance.