04-08-2025
‘Shoddy work by cops' claim
Published on: Monday, August 04, 2025
Published on: Mon, Aug 04, 2025 Text Size: 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. 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 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. 'Furthermore, no post-mortem was conducted prior to Zara's burial. 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. * 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.
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