‘One too many deaths’: missing Myanmar student found dead in Malaysia
Sithu’s death comes less than a month after a Chinese national was slashed by an ex-boyfriend and a student was murdered in Cyberjaya
A Myanmar student who had been missing since last week has been found dead, his university confirmed late Wednesday, the latest in a string of tragic incidents involving students at Malaysian private colleges.
Sithu Hpone Maw, a 20-year-old architecture student at UCSI University in Kuala Lumpur, was last seen on July 9 at a rented flat near the campus. His disappearance was reported by the university, prompting a police investigation.
Cheras police chief Aidil Bolhassan said in a statement on Thursday that Sithu died after falling from the 26th floor of his block of flats. A postmortem confirmed that his injuries were consistent with a fall.
Aidil said the incident, which occurred at around 8.30am on the day he went missing, was captured on CCTV.
In a statement posted on social media, the university mourned his death, remembering him for his “spirit, dedication, and the happiness he brought to those around him”.
“We stand in solidarity with his family, friends, and loved ones during this time of profound loss,” it said, also expressing its condolences to the Myanmar community on campus.
Htet Oo Lwin, vice-president of the Myanmar Student Community at the nearby Asia-Pacific University, said the news of Sithu’s death was confirmed to them by the family, even as police investigations continue.
“Sithu’s family has asked us to thank all of you for your love, care and prayers. Your support means the world to them,” he said, adding that the family had requested privacy to grieve.
A 2023 report estimated that over 17,000 Myanmar nationals were studying abroad, with more than 7,000 enrolled in colleges in Thailand and Japan. Malaysia, along with Singapore, China and South Korea, also hosts a sizeable number of Myanmar students.
Sithu’s death has sparked an outpouring of grief and concern online, with Malaysians calling it “one too many deaths”. One social media commenter, Molly Chan Sandhu, said: “It is so heartbreaking for his family and for us too.”.
News of Sithu’s death came just days after a Chinese national had her neck slashed by an ex-boyfriend at Taylor’s University across the city in Subang Jaya. The incident went viral after videos of the aftermath of the attack spread on social media, showing the bloodied student being assisted and her attacker apprehended by campus police.
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The victim was sent to hospital and is recovering from her injuries.
Meanwhile, a physiotherapy student at the University of Cyberjaya was murdered in June by her own housemate and her boyfriend, who later used the victim’s bank card to withdraw money from her accounts.
Both assailants, aged 19, face the death penalty if convicted, or alternatively, a prison term of 30 to 40 years and not less than 12 strokes of the cane.
