Malaysian Student Accused of Axe Attack on Teacher During Live Stream

On October 21, 2026, a 16-year-old male student allegedly attacked a female teacher with an axe at Tunku Putra-HELP (TPH) School in Kuching, Sarawak, Malaysia, leaving her with hand injuries[1][3][6]. The student reportedly live-streamed the assault on Facebook[5][9].

This incident has raised significant concerns regarding school safety, student mental health, and the rapid spread of violent content online, prompting officials to urge compassion for the student and caution against sharing the footage[6].

What the records show

Police in Kuching received an emergency call around 8:03 AM on October 21, 2026, reporting an incident at a private school where a 16-year-old male student had brought firecrackers and injured a teacher with an axe[3][5][10]. Closed-Circuit Television (CCTV) footage shows the student entering a classroom around 7:50 AM, striking the teacher with an axe, and leaving[5][10]. Further CCTV footage from inside the classroom captured the student swinging the axe at fleeing students, with the teacher intervening to protect them[2][5][8]. Initial reports and CCTV footage indicate the student filmed himself taking an axe from his bag with a mobile phone strapped to his head before the assault[5][6][10]. During the attack, the live stream footage reportedly became shaky, went black, though screams were still audible[6][7]. Following the incident, police recovered a penknife and a small axe, along with firecrackers[2][8]. The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) later removed the Facebook live stream[7][9][10].

Timeline

On October 21, 2026, around 7:50 AM, the student entered the classroom[5][10]. Shortly after, at approximately 8:03 AM, the Kuching District Police Headquarters Control Centre was alerted to the incident[3][5][10]. The student was subsequently detained, and the injured teacher was transported to a hospital[3][8]. By October 23, 2026, the teacher had been discharged from the hospital and was reported to be recovering well[1][4]. The student was referred to the psychiatric ward of Sarawak General Hospital for assessment and treatment, where he is currently receiving care[4][5][6].

What changed and for whom

The female teacher, who sustained hand injuries, was discharged from the hospital by October 23, 2026, and is recovering[1][2][3]. The student involved is no longer enrolled at Tunku Putra-HELP (TPH) school and is undergoing psychiatric assessment and treatment at Sarawak General Hospital[3][5][6]. The school temporarily closed following the incident and later resumed operations with enhanced security measures[1][3][8]. Police are investigating the case under Section 324 of the Penal Code for voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons and Section 6(1) of the Explosives Act 1957, related to the possession of explosive materials[2][6][10].

Official Responses

Sarawak acting police commissioner Saifullizan Ishak confirmed the incident and the removal of the live stream video from Facebook by the MCMC[9][10][11]. Sarawak women, children and community well-being minister Fatimah Abdullah urged the public to refrain from condemning or shaming the 16-year-old student, stressing the need for compassion and appropriate guidance[6]. She also stated that violence involving weapons must be taken seriously[6].

What we could not confirm

The specific motive behind the attack has not been disclosed by the police[2]. While initial reports indicated an axe, it was also reported that a penknife was found, leading to some discrepancies regarding which specific tool caused the teacher's injury[8].