Zara Qairina death probe completed, case to AGC
Published on: Sat, Aug 02, 2025
By: The Vibes Text Size: KUALA LUMPUR: Police have completed their investigation into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar, on July 16 and died the next day. Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the case will be referred to the Attorney-General's Chambers next week, with 60 witnesses interviewed. Zara's mother, through lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri, denied linking the case to any VIPs and urged the public not to spread unverified claims, warning such actions could hinder investigations. Police found no evidence connecting the incident to political or influential figures. Separately, Saifuddin announced plans to boost the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency's capabilities with two new offshore patrol vessels and the arrival of the ex-USCGC Steadfast in November. * 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
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
![[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}
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
[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.
New Straits Times
8 hours ago
- New Straits Times
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 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.
Borneo Post
8 hours ago
- Borneo Post
PM wants swift, transparent probe into Zara Qairina's death
Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim KOTA KINABALU (Aug 3): The death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir has drawn the attention of Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim, who stressed that investigations must be conducted transparently and thoroughly. The prime minister said he had discussed the matter with Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail and Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail to ensure the probe is conducted swiftly and comprehensively. 'There was a death recently, and the Education Minister (Fadhlina Sidek) is being attacked and accused of various things. What has become of our country? This death is not a trivial matter,' he said during his speech at the closing ceremony of the National Farmers, Breeders and Fishermen Day 2025 here today. Also present were Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, Agriculture and Food Security Minister Datuk Seri Mohamad Sabu and his deputy Datuk Seri Arthur Joseph Kurup. Anwar also reminded the public not to make speculations or accusations without evidence, emphasising that Malaysia is a nation founded on the rule of law. 'This is a nation of law, not slander. Whoever is involved in a criminal act such as murder will not be protected,' Anwar said. Zara Qairina, 13, was believed to have fallen from the third floor and was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar, Sabah, at 4 am on July 16. She was pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital here on July 17. The student's death quickly went viral, sparking widespread public reaction on social media. Yesterday, Mohd Khalid said the investigation paper regarding Zara Qairina's death had been completed and would be submitted to the Attorney General's Chambers for further action. – Bernama Anwar Ibrahim investigation viral Zara Qairina Mahathir
