Latest news with #Jauteh
Daily Express
3 days ago
- Daily Express
Fuller probe pledge: Family's lawyers urge those with info to come forward
Published on: Thursday, August 07, 2025 Published on: Thu, Aug 07, 2025 By: Hayati Dzulkifli, Cynthia D Baga Text Size: L/R: Jauteh, Hamid and Shahlan. Kota Kinabalu: Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun has assured the public that police will conduct a comprehensive investigation into claims circulating online prior to a tragic death of 13-year-old student Zara Qairina Mahathir. This comes after viral posts on social media suggested that she was put inside a washing machine at her school before being placed on the drain at the hostel block. Advertisement In TikTok, a woman under a name of SHA_Abrienda claimed that the body of Zara was put inside a washing machine before being placed near the drain of SMK Agama Tun Mustapha where she was found unconscious at 3am. The woman speaking live also claimed that Zara, a school prefect, was beaten by the group of senior who were unhappy that she wrote their names for not performing prayers. Jauteh said police are aware of such speculations and are treating the matter seriously. 'We will first verify what is being said by the netizens. Let the police conduct a thorough investigation on this,' he told Daily Express when contacted, Wednesday. Advertisement Asked if the washing machine claim would be part of the investigation, he said it would be taken into account. The case has sparked widespread concern online, with many calling for a transparent and swift investigation. Police have urged the public not to speculate and to allow the investigation to proceed without interference. Zara is believed to have been bullied. She died the following day in Queen Elizabeth Hospital (July 17). Meanwhile, lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri, who represent Zara Qairina Mahathir's family, called on those with solid information to come forward and assist the police investigation into her death, rather than spread speculation in social media. 'Allow police to investigate. Have faith in them, although they made mistakes at the early stage for not conducting the post-mortem and taking the clothing worn by Zara when she was found unconscious,' they said. About the new claims, the lawyers said they did not know where the person/s got the information. They said it was definitely not from Zara's mother. The legal team also raised legal concerns over the distribution of students' photos as well as sharing of personal information and negative statements about them. They said such actions may constitute criminal offences under Section 15 of the Child Act 2001, and Sections 211 and 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. 'The release of student name lists containing personal data was also deemed a breach of Section 130 of the Personal Data Protection Act 2010 and Section 233(1) of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. We urge that dissemination of such content be stopped immediately. Those who have posted the materials are requested to remove them without delay,' said the lawyers. * 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
Daily Express
02-08-2025
- Daily Express
Sabah Police Museum prepares for public opening
Published on: Saturday, August 02, 2025 Published on: Sat, Aug 02, 2025 By: Nora Ahmad Text Size: Jauteh and Hajiji accompanying Musa during a visit to the Sabah State Police Museum exhibit at the Sabah Police Headquarters. Kota Kinabalu: The Sabah State Police Museum will be open to the public soon once the display materials and interior fittings are fully completed, said Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun. He said the museum's official opening will be held later, giving the public an opportunity to explore the history and development of the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) in the state. 'Although the museum is not yet 100 per cent complete, I'm pleased to report that under the supervision of the Head of the Crime Prevention and Community Safety Department (JPJKK), Datuk Azhar Hamin, along with the museum's curator, progress has been smooth. 'God willing, it will be fully completed in the near future and we will announce visiting hours for the public once everything is ready,' he said. Jauteh was speaking to reporters after attending the state-level Warriors' Day 2025 celebration at the Sabah Police Contingent Headquarters (IPK) here on Thursday. In conjunction with the celebration, Head of State Tun Musa Aman and Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor also toured the museum exhibition area. Jauteh said the visit drew strong interest from the dignitaries in attendance. 'The visit caught the attention of the Head of State, the Chief Minister, and other invited guests. We will determine the official opening date once all preparations and installations are completed as planned,' he added. Meanwhile, Jauteh said about 700 personnel from the PDRM, Malaysian Armed Forces (ATM), and Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK) participated in the Warriors' Day celebration. 'This year, PDRM was given the honour of co-chairing the event with DBKK, and we are thankful everything went smoothly. 'Activities went according to plan, including the Tanduo Pentomin performance. I would like to thank everyone involved for their dedication,' he said. * 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
The Sun
31-07-2025
- The Sun
60 witnesses give statements on Zara Qairina's fatal fall
KOTA KINABALU: Police have recorded statements from about 60 witnesses, including students, parents, and school officials, in the investigation into the death of 13-year-old religious school student Zara Qairina on July 17. Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun confirmed the progress, adding that counselling experts are assisting traumatised students in providing clear statements. 'We have taken this investigation to Bukit Aman for observation and final review before referring it to the Attorney-General's Chambers. We have left it to Bukit Aman, being a higher authority, to provide further views regarding the case,' Jauteh said. He noted that while bullying allegations have not been ruled out, investigations are still ongoing. The commissioner spoke after attending Sabah's 2025 Warriors' Day celebration at the state police headquarters, officiated by Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman, with Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor also present. Zara Qairina was pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital on July 17 after being taken off life support. Doctors confirmed no brain function a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory, having allegedly fallen from the third floor on July 16. Jauteh stated that the investigation focuses on two key elements: the cause of death and the victim's environment. He assured the public of a transparent and thorough process, acknowledging the need for professionalism to avoid further trauma to student witnesses. On July 18, a special police team was deployed to the school for further investigations. 'Some of the witnesses are also students of the school. If we conduct the investigation in an unprofessional or irregular manner, this will certainly add to their trauma,' he said. - Bernama
Borneo Post
31-07-2025
- Borneo Post
60 witnesses questioned as Papar student's death investigation nears end
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.
The Star
31-07-2025
- The Star
Sabah cops not ruling out bullying claims in Zara Qairina's death
KOTA KINABALU: Sabah police have not ruled out elements of bullying in the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir. Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said claims of bullying, which could have caused the death of the 13-year-old, were part of their investigations. He said the investigation will also focus on the circumstances leading to the girl's fall from her hostel building at SMA Tun Datu Mustafa in Papar, around 3am on July 16. He said investigations were conducted thoroughly with absolute sensitivity as traumatised students were involved but allegations that those implicated in this case included children of a state assemblyman and VVIPs including himself, were unfounded. 'I have no children studying there, never have. This means there are some people who are trying to disrupt our probe,' Jauteh said, adding that he did not check which child belonged to whom when gathering statements for the probe. He said this during a press conference after the Sabah Warriors' Day celebration at the state Police Headquarters in Kepayan near here on Thursday (July 31). He explained that investigations would take time as everything has to be done thoroughly, professionally, sensitively and properly with the help of counsellors. 'These kids are traumatised, and scared. We cannot just expect them to blurt out the information we need accurately and truthfully without proper methods,' said Jauteh. He said that investigation papers have been handed over to Bukit Aman for the final evaluation before the next course of action, which is to refer it to the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC). Jauteh said a total of 61 people including students and teachers have had their statements recorded. As for claims that this case is being swept under the rug because the school principal was the wife of Deputy Higher Education Minister Datuk Mustapha Sakmud, both Mustapha and his wife Rosnih Nasir, have since denied the claims and maintained that she has nothing to do with the incident. Mustapha said his wife only served as the principal in that school between March and November last year before retiring.
