Concern over delay in findings
Published on: Sat, Aug 02, 2025 Text Size: Zulkarnain said it decided to formally support the family's next steps, including suing the school and any parties who may have been negligent or complicit in the events leading to Zara's death. Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian People's Power Movement (G57) raised concerns over the slow pace of investigations into the death of Form One student Zara Qairina, who is believed to have been the victim of serious bullying at SMK Agama Tun Mustapha in Papar. G57 pledged to provide additional legal assistance to Zara's family, including legal advice and representation, to help them seek justice through proper channels. Its Chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said the movement had initially withheld public comment to allow authorities time to carry out investigations, but said the lack of progress has now become a cause for concern. He said it received complaints and informal reports suggesting that the investigation may be facing interference due to the possible involvement of a child linked to a person of high social standing. 'If the investigation is being delayed or shielded because of someone's title or influence, that is unacceptable. Legal processes must be allowed to run without obstruction,' he said, Friday. Zulkarnain said it decided to formally support the family's next steps, including suing the school and any parties who may have been negligent or complicit in the events leading to Zara's death. He said pressure would continue to be placed on the authorities to ensure regular, transparent updates are provided to the family and the public. Zulkarnain said Zara's death reflects a wider pattern of safety concerns within school environments, particularly regarding how bullying is handled. He said institutions must be prepared to take responsibility when safeguards fail and urged the Ministry of Education to review how such cases are managed at both school and district levels. * 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.
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![[UPDATED] Zara Qairina's death: AGC given incomplete report, say family lawyers](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fimages%2Farticles%2Fphoto_2025-08-01_19-59-23_1754213396.jpg&w=3840&q=100)
![[UPDATED] Zara Qairina's death: AGC given incomplete report, say family lawyers](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fassets.nst.com.my%2Fassets%2FNST-Logo%402x.png%3Fid%3Db37a17055cb1ffea01f5&w=48&q=75){kind=small}
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[UPDATED] Zara Qairina's death: AGC given incomplete report, say family lawyers
KOTA KINABALU: The investigation paper submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers on the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir is incomplete, according to a joint statement by the family's legal counsels. "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 outside the school's hostel building at dawn on July 16, 2025. "From July 17, until today, the police have never collected nor requested any of these items from our client for the purpose of investigation. "Therefore, we believe that the investigation paper submitted to the Attorney General's Chambers is incomplete," according to Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri who represented Zara's mother. According to them, all of Zara's clothing and belongings were handed over to her mother by hospital staff on July 16. These items, they said, are currently in the custody of a representative of a non-governmental organisation (NGO), who has been officially appointed as the sole representative of Zara's mother. "We are deeply shocked by this, as in our experience handling criminal trials in court, it is standard procedure for police to seize all items worn by a victim suspected of having died as a result of any criminal act, for the purpose of investigation. "These clothes and personal effects are crucial pieces of evidence that should have been forensically examined and analysed to determine whether Zara's death involved any criminal elements," said the counsels. They added that the police's failure to do so raises serious concerns as to whether the investigation has been limited solely to the theories of sudden death or suicide despite multiple police reports lodged by Zara's mother requesting investigation into possible criminal elements in her daughter's death. "In light of the above, we are of the opinion that the investigation paper submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers is incomplete, lacks comprehensiveness, and is narrowly focused. "Furthermore, no post-mortem was conducted prior to Zara's burial. "We express our deepest gratitude to the prime minister for his concern regarding Zara's case. "We sincerely hope he will advise the Attorney-General to return the investigation file to the police, and to support our call for a post-mortem and an inquest to be carried out as soon as possible in order to determine the actual cause of Zara's death, and whether any criminal elements were involved," said the counsels. Zara, who was found unconscious after allegedly falling from her school dormitory building at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan, was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital (HQE I) at 11am on July 17. The incident went viral on social media after allegations surfaced involving bullying by the child of a minister, VIPs, and other influential figures—sparking widespread reactions from netizens. However, police have said there is no evidence so far to support these claims.
