Parents of Teo Yu Ze file negligence suit against kindergarten, transport firm, driver and education minister after van tragedy.

JOHOR BAHRU: The parents of five-year-old Teo Yu Ze, who died after being left unattended in a locked school van for several hours in Gelang Patah on April 30, have filed a civil suit in the High Court here against the kindergarten operators, a transport company, a school van driver and the Minister of Education.

In a statement today, lawyer Ng Kian Nam, representing the parents, Teo Jia Meng and Yu Yue Yang, said the suit named five defendants, namely the kindergarten operators Lee Cheak Lu and YK Educational Group Sdn Bhd, Double Tree Transport Sdn Bhd, the school van driver Yau Chee Weng and the Minister of Education.

Ng said the legal action stemmed from the defendants’ refusal to admit liability or negligence and to issue an apology after a letter of demand was served on June 20, 2025.

He said the MOE was added as one of the defendants due to the alleged failure to take firm enforcement action against the kindergarten operators under the Private Kindergarten Guidelines, the Education Act 1996 and the Child Act 2001 to ensure a safe educational environment.

“Our clients are deeply disappointed that despite recent fatal and criminal incidents in schools highlighting safety concerns, the authorities have failed to act seriously or hold those responsible accountable,” he said in a statement.

Ng confirmed that the civil claim will be grounded in the legal principle of Res Ipsa Loquitur (the thing speaks for itself).

He asserted that the death could only have resulted from the defendants’ gross negligence, as the child was entirely in their custody and control at the time.

He further stated that the objectives of the civil suit are threefold: to uncover the full factual matrix of the incident, to secure justice for the deceased and to compel the Minister of Education to institute a fully independent and transparent investigation.

Additionally, Ng called upon the Attorney General’s Chambers to re-evaluate its position and consider preferring criminal charges under the Child Act 2001 against the kindergarten operators.

He claimed that previous appeals to the AGC on this matter have gone unacknowledged.

He concluded by emphasising the paramount importance of child safety in educational institutions, stressing that no parent should ever have to suffer the loss of a child due to such negligence.

Meanwhile, on May 7, Yau Chee Weng was accused of leaving the five-year-old boy in a multipurpose van, resulting in his death, in front of a kindergarten in Taman Bukit Indah, Iskandar Puteri, between 8.00 am and 12.05 pm on April 30.

He pleaded not guilty in the Batu Pahat Sessions Court to a charge under Section 31(1)(a) of the Child Act 2001, which carries a maximum sentence of 20 years imprisonment, a fine not exceeding RM50,000, or both, upon conviction. – Bernama

 The Sun Malaysia