A 15-year-old Malaysian girl, Yap Xin Yuan, has been reported missing since 19 December, leaving her family distraught and desperate for answers.
The incident, which began with what was believed to be a lion dance practice, has taken alarming turns with conflicting accounts and even scam attempts targeting her worried relatives.
Went missing after lion dance practice
In a press release, Kajang District Police Chief ACP Naazron Abdul Yusof stated that was reported missing after attending a lion dance practice session in Batu 11, Cheras, at 10:30 PM last Thursday (19 Dec).
He said they received a report about Yap Xin Yuan’s disappearance from her family at 2:15 AM on Friday.
“Xin Yuan was reported to have gone for lion dance practice. After the session ended, she did not return home directly but instead followed a friend to an unknown destination,” he said when contacted.
He added that Xin Yuan is approximately 155 cm tall, weighs 39 kg, has a slim build, wears braces, has long hair, and was last seen wearing a red lion dance costume.
Conflicting stories raise suspicions
Speaking to China Press, the victim’s mother, Cheng (transliteration) claimed that she had been in contact with Xin Yuan throughout the day. The teen had discussed topics like her academic choices in Form 4 and attending a church Christmas event on 28 December.
However, when Cheng and her husband went to pick her up at 10:30 PM, their calls and messages to Xin Yuan went unanswered.
They contacted the Lion Dance Club manager, who confirmed that the venue had not been open that day.
I realized then that she had lied about where she was,” Cheng said.
Worried, the family began searching for her at other locations, including the Batu 11 basketball court and Xing An Temple, but to no avail.
They eventually filed a missing person report at the Serdang Police District Headquarters in the early hours of December 20th.
The investigation also led the family to Xin Yuan’s boyfriend, whom she had met at the lion dance club. Initially, he claimed to have seen Xin Yuan on the day she went missing.
He stated that they had lunch together, had an argument, and that she left his house around 5 PM in a brown ride-hailing car headed towards Crown City.
However, CCTV footage obtained from a neighbour told a different story. It showed Xin Yuan arriving at the boyfriend’s house at 8:45 AM that same morning, contradicting his account.
Cheng confirmed with the ride-hailing company that her daughter had only used the service once that day.
Despite these discrepancies, the investigating officer has ruled out any suspicious behaviour from the boyfriend. The family, however, remains deeply concerned.
RM200 for information
To make matters worse, the family has become the target of scammers. Xin Yuan’s uncle, Mr Cheng, shared with China Press how one person on WhatsApp claimed to have seen Xin Yuan at a hotel in Kuala Lumpur but demanded RM200 to reveal the location.
When I asked for proof, like an ID card or a selfie, the person disappeared,” he said.
This scam is just one of many obstacles the family has faced during their frantic search for Xin Yuan.
Anyone with information is urged to contact the nearest police station or call the Kajang District Police Headquarters at 03-8911 4222 or Investigator Inspector Muhammad Tasnim Mohamed Nor at 014-6209960.
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