Kedayan community in Miri holds prayers for late Zara Qairina
MIRI (Aug 15): Persatuan Kedayan Miri held a solemn tahlil and prayer ceremony at Masjid At-Taqwa here on Thursday, in memory of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, a Form One student whose tragic passing has touched communities across Sabah, Sarawak, and beyond.
Association chairman Mohamad Abdullah Jamin said the gathering was not only to remember the young Zara but also to reflect unity among the Kedayan community in Miri and express solidarity with their counterparts in Sabah, Labuan, and Brunei.
'Zara Qairina was of Kedayan and Malay Brunei heritage, which makes her loss deeply felt among Kedayans here.
'We have also been invited by Kedayan communities in Sabah, Labuan, and Brunei to join similar tahlil and prayers,' he said.
He expressed sorrow over the incident and praised the solidarity prayers and peaceful gatherings held in Sabah and Labuan, adding that the association supports such initiatives.
Mohamad Abdullah also called on the authorities to conduct a thorough and impartial investigation into the case.
'We believe the police can carry out their investigations fairly and without prejudice in order to resolve this high-profile case,' he said, noting that Kedayans and other communities across Sarawak are rallying in support of Zara's mother during this difficult time.
The Miri prayer was held in tandem with similar gatherings at mosques and suraus in Sabah.
On July 16, between 3am and 4am, Zara was found unconscious in a drain below the girls' dormitory of SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, Sabah.
She was rushed to Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu and placed on life support, but succumbed to her injuries the next day. Persatuan Kedayan Miri prayer Zara Qairina
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