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No relatives present as lawyers for Zara Qairina's family observe trial

No relatives present as lawyers for Zara Qairina's family observe trial

New Straits Times11 hours ago
The legal team representing the family of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir attended the Juvenile Court in Kota Kinabalu today as observers in the prosecution of five teenagers accused of involvement in bullying.
Lawyer Hamid Ismail, speaking to the media before entering the courtroom, said his team had also asked the judge to postpone the proceedings.
A day earlier, Hamid had requested the Attorney-General's Chambers (A-GC) to defer the prosecution and amend the charge to Section 507D(2) of the Penal Code.
The A-GC, however, rejected the request and decided to proceed with the charges under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code. The proceedings began after 9am but are being held behind closed doors, with no indication of how long they will last.
Besides Zara's family lawyers, several other lawyers — including Datuk Ram Singh, believed to be representing one of the accused — were seen in court. Police officers were deployed for security, while no members of Zara's family were present.
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