Singapore's NTU stabbing incident leaves one dead and
another injured
Posted: 02 March 2009 1532 hrs
CNA
SINGAPORE: A final-year engineering student at the Nanyang
Technological University (NTU) jumped from a campus block after
stabbing a professor on Monday morning.
The professor was in his office at the engineering faculty when the
student stabbed him in the back with a knife, leaving him
injured.
After stabbing the professor, the male student - who was in his 20s
- slit his wrists and jumped off a five-storey building.
Police said they received a call about the incident at 10.35am, and
arrived to find the student dead at the bottom of the engineering
block.
Eyewitnesses had also told Channel NewsAsia that a person had been
stabbed, and that a student, believed to be an Indonesian-Chinese
had slit his wrists before jumping off a building.
An NTU spokesman later confirmed that a final year student from the
School of Electrical and Electronics Engineering was involved in
the stabbing.
It, however, did not name the two people involved, and only said
that their next-of-kin had been notified.
The student is said to be 21-year-old David Hartanto Widjaja and
the professor is believed to be Chan Kap Luk, who was left with
injuries on his back and arm.
David Hartanto Widjaja was a former president of the NTU Electronic
Sports Club.
Professor Chan, a Singaporean in his 40s, was sent to the National
University Hospital for treatment and is said to be in a stable
condition.
The professor has been with NTU's School of Electrical and
Electronic Engineering since June 1992.
Professor Chan, who is Deputy Director of the Biomedical
Engineering Research Centre at NTU, is said to have been the
supervisor of the student in a project.
NTU's president, Su Guaning, pledged to help the families of the
professor and student and has mobilised its counselling
professionals to help. He also said the matter will be investigated
thoroughly.
"The university is deeply shocked and saddened by what has
happened… The university community will rally together at this
difficult time and do our utmost to help the student's family, the
professor and his family, and those traumatised by the incident,"
added Dr Su.
Speaking to the media at the NUH in the evening, Dr Su said
Professor Chan might be discharged in a few days. The stab wound in
the professor's back was "deep" but no vital organs were injured.
His arm was also not "too badly hurt".
It is understood that at the time of the incident, Widjaja was
discussing his final-year project with Professor Chan, as he had
difficulty obtaining a pass grade.
Dr Su said Widjaja was a "very good student" whose grades had
slipped recently, but he was still considered above average.
Dr Su said Professor Chan had expressed regret that he could not
help his student earlier.
The NTU president said he hopes to prevent such an incident from
happening again. "I think it's an overall pastoral care system that
is necessary. We've already set up such a thing, with the Student
Affairs Office, many counsellors keeping an eye on students with
problems.
"Unfortunately the student never showed that he had problems.
Either he kept them within himself, or... We would like to review
the system to see how we can pick out better students who have such
problems, even if they don't communicate with others."
