60 witnesses questioned as Papar student's death investigation nears end

Borneo Post

31-07-2025

Zara Qairina
KOTA KINABALU (July 31): Police are in the final phase of their investigation into the death of a Form One student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan, Papar, who fell from the dormitory's building on July 17.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said 60 witnesses, including friends and teachers, have given statements to the investigation team from the Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK).
Jauteh said the investigation paper had now been sent to Bukit Aman in Kuala Lumpur for final examination before being submitted to the Attorney-General's Chambers for further action.
'The investigation into this case is in its final stage, where the statements from 60 witnesses, including students, parents, school staff and three students linked to the victim, have been recorded by the police and several other pieces of evidence have been taken.
'For now, the investigation paper has been submitted to Bukit Aman for observation and final examination before being referred to the Attorney-General,' he said at a press conference during the State-level 2025 Warriors Day celebration at the State Police Headquarters in Kepayan on Thursday.
Jauteh said the investigation is now focused on two main elements, namely the cause of death and the environmental conditions before the incident.
'The incident was reported to have occurred on July 16, while the student involved was confirmed dead the next day.
'On July 17, I discussed with the Sabah Criminal Investigation Department chief, Datuk Azmi Abd Rahim before a special team from IPK was deployed to the location to assist in the investigation.
'Given that the students were emotionally affected and traumatized, we also involved a counselling expert in the statement recording session to ensure the investigation runs smoothly and fairly,' he said.
Commenting on the alleged allegations that there was an element of bullying, Jauteh did not rule out any possibility, but will leave it to Bukit Aman for a thorough analysis.
'We do not rule out the possibility of bullying. The investigation is also focused on the facts of the issue. As I mentioned earlier, the investigation paper has been sent to Bukit Aman for scrutiny and a comprehensive study,' he said.
Meanwhile, Jauteh denied the claim that one of his children attended the hostel in question.
'I have never had any of my children attend this school. Such allegations are unjustified and only add to the confusion. I emphasize that none of my children are currently or have ever studied there.
'Regarding the claim that there are children of influential individuals who attended the school in question, including myself … I state here again that I have never had any of my children attend this school.
'So this means that there are netizens who deliberately create something unhealthy about this matter,' he said.
When asked about the claim that there are students of influential individuals, he said that the matter is not the focus of the investigation.
'I cannot know the whole story because there are many students there. So we are not conducting an investigation into whose child this is,' he said.
He further said that the investigation into this case was conducted with full professionalism and transparency, taking into account the emotions of the students who were witnesses.
'Netizens want a thorough investigation. That is why we are taking some time to complete this investigation. It involves 60 witnesses and we cannot take all of these witnesses directly.
'We also think that these witnesses are students at the school who may have only seen or heard or were friends with the victim.
'So if we conduct an unprofessional investigation, of course this will add to their trauma to the current situation. That is why we are doing it fairly to all parties,' said Jauteh.
Zara Qairina Mahathir, 13, was reportedly found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar at around 3am on July 16.
She was pronounced dead at the Queen Elizabeth I Hospital at 11am the next day.
Following the incident, various speculations went viral on social media linking the incident to bullying, with some claiming that there was VVIP intervention to cover up the case.