2011 Muar kindergarten hostage crisis

From Wikipedia the free encyclopedia

2011 Muar kindergarten hostage crisis
Tadika Seri Intan as on 2021
LocationSerikids Kindergarten (now Tadika Seri Intan), 1, Jalan Cemerlang 4, Taman Cemerlang II, Sungai Abong, Muar, Johor, Malaysia
Coordinates2°03′25″N 102°34′49″E / 2.0568143°N 102.5802866°E / 2.0568143; 102.5802866
Date7 July 2011 (MST, UTC+8)
Attack type
Hostage taking, knife attack, school attack
WeaponsMachete and hammer
Deaths1 (one of the perpetrators)
Injured0
Victims30 preschool children and four teachers
PerpetratorLau Hui Chung @ Loi Hui Chung @ Ah Teong (dead)
MotiveIllogical demands of the alleged mentally-deranged and drug addict hostage taker including for an automatic gun and to meet the Prime Minister

The 2011 Muar kindergarten hostage crisis took place at the Serikids Kindergarten in Muar, Johor, Malaysia on 7 July 2011.[N 1] About 30 preschool children aged between 2 and 6 years old and four teachers of the kindergarten in Sungai Abong were held hostages starting at 9:15 a.m. Malaysian time (UTC+8), by Lau Hui Chung, also known as Loi Hui Chung and Ah Teong, aged 40, who had barged into the double-storey building wielding a machete and hammer, and was suspected to be mentally deranged and a drug addict.[2][3] The siege began when police arrived at 10:00 a.m. after receiving a tip-off. He threatened to kill the hostages if his demand to negotiate with the Prime Minister and be given a gun was not met.[4] He was reported to be emotional and suicidal at times.[N 2]

The Special Actions Unit or Unit Tindakan Khas (UTK) of the Royal Malaysia Police (RMP), firetruck and ambulance were deployed on stand-by to face the crisis amid police's negotiation and persuasion effort by suspect family members. The over six-hour stand-off ended exactly at 4:00 p.m. after UTK members stormed the building at 3:40 p.m. with tear gas and shot the suspect in the head.[6][7] The suspect was taken to the nearby Sultanah Fatimah Specialist Hospital (HPSF) where he was pronounced dead at 9:15 p.m.[8] All 30 kindergarten children and four teachers were unharmed.[9] The police have investigated a possible connection of the dead suspect with two other similar kindergarten attack cases within the same vicinity earlier, namely Warna Sari Kindergarten on 12 January 2009 and Senario Kindergarten on 10 March 2010.[10] The incident has received nationwide and international media coverage.[11] The police have also instructed kindergartens and day-care centres in the area to tighten their security following the hostage drama.[12] The kindergarten involved was re-opened a week after the incident.[13]

See also[edit]

External links[edit]

Notes[edit]

  1. ^ Suspect in kindie hostage drama dies.[1]
  2. ^ Teacher: He asked me to kill him.[5]

References[edit]

  1. ^ "Suspect in kindie hostage drama dies". New Straits Times. July 8, 2011.
  2. ^ Ng, Eileen (8 July 2011). "Malaysia: Kindergarten Hostage Taker Killed". Time. Archived from the original on 11 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  3. ^ Six-hour hostage drama at Malaysian kindergarten - 07Jul2011. Channel News Asia (CNA). 154media. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011 – via YouTube.
  4. ^ Muhammad, Bazuki (7 July 2011). Katyal, Sugita (ed.). "Malaysia police storm preschool, free 30 children". Reuters. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  5. ^ "Teacher: He asked me to kill him". New Straits Times. July 8, 2011.
  6. ^ "Malaysian police shoot hostage-taker to end kindergarten siege". The Guardian. UK. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  7. ^ "Children safe after siege at Malaysian kindergarten". BBC News. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  8. ^ "Kindergarten hostage-taker dies". The Star. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011 – via News.Com.Au.
  9. ^ "Preschoolers safe as Malaysian siege ends". ABC News. 7 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  10. ^ Benjamin, Nelson; Abdullah, Hamdan Raja; Shah, Mohd Farhan (7 July 2011). "Hostage drama: Shot suspect dies in hospital". The Star. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  11. ^ "30 kanak-kanak menjadi tebusan di Muar". Mr Kumai (in Malay). 8 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  12. ^ "Improve security, kindies told". The Star. 9 July 2011. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
  13. ^ Abdullah, Hamdan Raja (14 July 2011). "Cheery kids at kindie again". The Star. Retrieved 23 July 2011.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=2011_Muar_kindergarten_hostage_crisis&oldid=1217250696"