The murder trial of a Malaysian teenager who has been charged with fatally stabbing a 16-year-old girl at a secondary school began on Monday.

The boy has been accused of stabbing Yap Shing Xuen, 16, in a toilet at their secondary school in Selangor, near Kuala Lumpur, last October.

The accused, who has not been publicly named because of his age, was 14 at the time of the stabbing. He has pleaded not guilty to the murder charge, which carries the death penalty, or imprisonment up to 40 years and 12 strokes of the cane.

However, because of his age, the accused will not face the death penalty if convicted.

The stabbing incident sparked national outrage and calls for tighter online controls after police suspected social media could have influenced the boy. The police had also discovered a handwritten note believed to have been left by the teenage suspect.

The teenager was brought to court on Monday from the Puncak Alam Correction Centre. He has been accused of murdering Yap Shing Xuen at the girls' toilet between 9.20 am and 9.35 am local time on 14 October 2025.

The prosecution is expected to call 11 witnesses during the eight-day trial presided over by judge Adlin Abdul Majid at the High Court.

According to the prosecution's witness list, the pathologist is expected to testify first. The victim's mother is expected to identify photographs of her daughter and other exhibits, while several teachers from the school are also listed to testify.

The trial comes after a three-month psychiatric assessment, which found the boy fit to stand trial.

The suspect’s father, a 40-year-old man who did not wish to be named, said previously that he was “heartbroken” and could not comprehend his son’s actions.

He said there was nothing unusual about him on the morning of the attack. “I sent him to school as usual. I didn’t expect such a thing to happen,” he said.

Last year, prime minister Anwar Ibrahim responded to the incident by calling for stronger regulation of online platforms, citing a rise in violent incidents against girls in schools over recent months.

“The responsibility, of course, goes back to parents and schools, but almost all of these issues stem from the unchecked use of mobile phones and social media,” Mr Ibrahim had said.

Malaysian authorities have since rolled out new rules designed to protect children from harmful online content. Children under the age of 16 have been prohibited from opening accounts on major social media platforms.