KUCHING, Oct 17: Taiwan authorities have been urged to review and introduce effective measures to ensure the personal safety of Malaysian students in light of a third murder case involving a Malaysian student in Taiwan within a period of two years.
Caretaker Prime Minister’s Special Envoy to the People’s Republic of China, Dato Sri Tiong King Sing, said such effort was necessary in order to do justice to the suffering of the victims’ families.
He was referring to the recent case of a 24-year-old female Malaysian student surnamed Tsai who was strangled to death in her apartment in Taipei’s Shilin District on Oct 13.
In 2020, two female Malaysian students were murdered in separate incidents. The first involved a 25-year-old woman surnamed Teng who was killed and dismembered on Jan 6 by a man who courted her but was rejected. The second involved a 24-year-old woman surnamed Chung who was abducted, raped and killed on Oct 28.
“This (Tsai’s case) is the third time that such a tragedy has occurred in two years. Children studying abroad, dying at the hands of cold-blooded killers. How can any parent feel at ease now sending their kids to further studies in Taiwan?
“At this point, it would be prudent for the Malaysian government to seriously review the issue of Malaysians heading to study in Taiwan. A life lost cannot be reversed.
“If Taiwan and its laws cannot handle this well, it is high time for the Malaysian government to take action to ensure the safety of our international students,” Tiong said in a statement yesterday.
Tiong who is also the Bintulu incumbent and Dudong assemblyman further said that the murder cases have struck fear in the hearts of Malaysians as the possibility of rehabilitation has been used as a failsafe for the convicted to escape the death penalty for murder.
He also said the possibility of rehabilitation makes a mockery of justice for the victims and their families.
“If Taiwan cannot produce any reasonable statement on this matter and deal with it in the framework of the law, we should remind our Malaysian parents not to send their children to study in Taiwan unless they can guarantee their safety,” he added.
He also called upon the Taiwan authorities to consider more ways to ensure young people’s good mental health including proper emotional management.
“There should also be more channels of assistance for them on healthier (sic) mental health, instead of succumbing to extreme emotional responses.
“It might be possible then to stop extreme pathological reactions that could bring harm to society or lead to more homicides,” he emphasised. — DayakDaily
