
Zara Qairina's death: AGC given incomplete report, say family lawyers
"In light of Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim's statement this morning that the investigation paper concerning the death of Zara Qairina binti Mahathir ('Zara') has been submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers, we wish to clarify the following matters regarding the clothing and personal items Zara was wearing when she was found at the foot of the school's hostel building at dawn on July 16, 2025.
"From July 17, 2025, until today, the police have neither collected nor requested any of these items from our client for investigative purposes.
"Therefore, we believe that the investigation paper submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers is incomplete," said lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri, who represent Zara's mother.
Zara Qairina, a Form One student at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan in Papar, was allegedly found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at 4am on July 16 after reportedly falling from the third floor of a building.

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Borneo Post
6 hours ago
- Borneo Post
Zara's mother urges AG to order inquest into daughter's death
Hamid (middle) handing over Zara Qairina's clothes to the police at his office on Tuesday. KOTA KINABALU (Aug 5): The mother of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who died after allegedly falling from the third floor of her religious school hostel in Papar, is urging the Attorney General to initiate an inquest into her daughter's death. Through her lawyers, Noraidah Lamat called on the Attorney General to invoke Section 339(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code and direct a magistrate to hold the inquest. Lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri said an inquest was necessary to establish the cause of Zara Qairina's death and determine if any criminal elements were involved. They also requested that the Attorney General return the investigation papers to allow a reopening of the case, citing alleged shortcomings in the completed investigation. 'The investigation should be handled by experienced officers from Bukit Aman,' they said in a joint statement on Tuesday. The lawyers also urged that Zara Qairina's body be exhumed to allow a post-mortem to determine the actual cause of death. They revealed they had received the 'full preliminary investigation' report from the police, which was submitted to the Attorney General on Monday, but claimed the report contained serious weaknesses. They pointed out that no autopsy was conducted before burial and that Zara Qairina's clothing from July 16 was not immediately collected for forensic analysis. According to them, the police only contacted the family on Tuesday to retrieve the clothes Zara wore when she was found. Zara's clothes and personal belongings were handed over at Hamid's office at 2pm. They added that the police only recorded Noraidah's statement regarding bruises on Zara's back on August 3–4 at the Sipitang police station. 'We believe the investigation lacks sufficient material. Without an autopsy report and with key evidence like Zara Qairina's clothing and personal items still unexamined, the investigation cannot be thorough,' they said. The lawyers also expressed concern over social media claims suggesting Zara Qairina's death was linked to emotional stress caused by her mother. They cited a purported diary entry that was circulated online and labelled as 'material evidence,' raising suspicions of a leak from the investigation file. 'If this paper was indeed retrieved from Zara Qairina's dormitory locker, it indicates that sensitive materials may have been leaked, compromising the integrity of the investigation and fuelling a malicious narrative,' they said. They stressed that Zara's mother seeks only justice and is fully cooperating with authorities. They also urged the public to refrain from speculation that could harm the reputations of those involved. Noraidah's legal team also thanked all individuals and parties who have spread this case in order to achieve justice for Zara such as making solidarity through peaceful gatherings by students and signatures collection, making songs and poems and sharing statuses and news on all social media platforms. Zara Qairina was found unconscious in the early hours of July 16 near a drain below her hostel. She passed away the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Her mother has since raised concerns that Zara may have been a victim of bullying. The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said in a statement on Monday that it is reviewing the full preliminary investigation report submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police. It said that the review process involves a thorough examination of the legal and factual aspects to ensure that any decision is made in accordance with the law and upholds the principles of justice. The AGC added that a decision on the case would be announced upon completion of the review of the preliminary investigation report.


New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Parents fear sending children to boarding schools in Sabah
KUALA LUMPUR: Kinabatangan member of Parliament Datuk Seri Bung Moktar Radin says many parents in Sabah are now afraid to send their children to boarding schools due to growing concerns over bullying. He said bullying has become increasingly rampant, especially in boarding schools — including religious, vocational, and national secondary institutions. As such, he urged the Education Ministry (MoE) to explore new approaches to tackle the issue of bullying more effectively. "In Sabah, many parents are now afraid to send their children to boarding schools because they say, 'We are sending our children to be killed'. "These students go to school to gain knowledge, yet their children are dying, being mistreated... this is unacceptable," he told the Dewan Rakyat when debating the 13th Malaysia Plan today. Although he did not directly reference any specific case, his remarks are believed to be related to the recent death of 13-year-old Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir in Papar, Sabah, which drew public attention due to its alleged links to bullying. On July 16, Zara Qairina — a Form One student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan in Papar — was found unconscious in a drain near her school's dormitory at around 4am. She was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu. Bung Moktar added that the shaping of student character should begin in schools, referencing a Malay proverb: "Melentur buluh biar dari rebungnya" (Inculcating good values should start at an early age). "The Education Minister must take this issue seriously. We talk about transformation, but if we can't even transform our schools, how can we expect change?" he said.


Daily Express
8 hours ago
- Daily Express
Police seize late Zara Qairina's belongings
Published on: Tuesday, August 05, 2025 Published on: Tue, Aug 05, 2025 By: Cynthia D Baga Text Size: Hamid (second from left) witnessed the police team seizing the exhibits at his office on Tuesday evening. KOTA KINABALU: The clothes and personal items belonging to the late Zara Qairina were seized by the police team on Tuesday evening. Lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri, who represented Noraidah Lamat, the mother of the late Zara, confirmed the matter. According to Hamid, a police team from Papar came to his office to collect items such as the clothes worn by Zara on the day of the incident, along with several personal belongings. All the items were seized from an NGO that had been entrusted by Zara's family to keep them. Hamid said the police seized the exhibits without the presence of Zara's family. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available. Stay up-to-date by following Daily Express's Telegram channel. Daily Express Malaysia