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A Malaysian social media user has drawn widespread criticism after questioning why a bereaved mother spoke in Chinese during a media interview about her daughter’s brutal murder.
The controversy began when user “shamharimohdsidek” posted on social media, asking: “Many reporters in front of her… various races… She can only speak Chinese… What nationality is she? Doesn’t she know how to speak Bahasa Malaysia?”
The comments were accompanied by a video showing the mother, Wong Lee Ping, being interviewed.
The victim, 16-year-old Yap Shing Xuen, was reportedly stabbed 200 times alongside a 14-year-old boy in a recent murder case.
The post has received over 2,000 likes but significantly more critical responses, highlighting the divisive nature of the comments in Malaysian society.
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Public Outrage Over Insensitive Comments
The post quickly led to outrage across social media platforms, with thousands of users condemning the criticism as heartless and inappropriate, while some claimed it was a fake account created to provoke.
“Don’t judge. She lost her daughter in a brutal way,” wrote one user, while another added, “Are you using a keyboard knife on a mom who lost her child? Don’t be cruel. She can use any language she wants; she can cry. And we will listen.”
Several users pointed out that the mother actually spoke in three languages during the whole interview – Chinese, Bahasa Malaysia, and English – but the original poster had selectively highlighted only the Chinese portions.
The controversy escalated when at least one user filed a complaint with the communications regulator, Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC), citing “insensitive content regarding the recent murder case.”
Malaysian writer Rem Dambul weighed in with a lengthy post defending the grieving mother, describing her expressions as a “universal language of grief” that transcends linguistic barriers.
The language of sorrow is inherently human and universal. Everyone can understand it easily because the key to communication is not in words, but in tears.
He criticised those who would police language use during such tragic circumstances, calling it an inappropriate exploitation of nationalism.
Condolences and Community Support
Many Malaysians voiced condolence messages on social media, expressing sympathy to Yap’s family and friends.
Some shared videos of her from when she was alive capture the happier days and show how the late teenager brought smiles to those around her, leaving an irreplaceable void with her cheerfulness.
Meanwhile, political leaders and community figures, including Digital Minister Gobind Singh Deo and Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) vice president Nurul Izzah Anwar, visited the funeral wake to pay their respects.
The wake has drawn continuous streams of visitors offering condolences to the grieving family.
The widespread political and community support demonstrates the unity shown during this tragic time, uniting Malaysians across racial and political lines in mourning the senseless loss of young life.
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