Post-mortem will address questions, social media speculation

KOTA KINABALU: Family and friends watched with tears from a distance amid intermittent showers as the body of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir was exhumed from her grave at Tanjung Ubi Muslim Cemetery in Kg Mesapol in Sipitang, about 140km from here.

The body of the Form One student, who died due to injuries from an apparent fall from the third floor of her religious school hostel in Papar district on July 16, will undergo a post-mortem that comes amid a firestorm of questions and social media speculations concerning circumstances surrounding her death.

Police cordoned off the cemetery after they were granted an exhumation order by magistrate Zuraini Ali Musa during a hearing at Papar district police headquarters yesterday morning.

The exhumation began shortly after a forensic team arrived around 4.45pm and ended around 7.40pm. A post-mortem is expec­ted to be carried out today.

Officials from the Sabah Islamic Religious Affairs Department (Jheains), in collaboration with the State Mufti’s Office, observed the exhumation.

Beacon of hope: Participants at the Justice for Zara rally holding up their phones in Sandakan while (below) police officers guard the cemetery in Kg Masapol where the 13-year-old was laid to rest. — Bernama

Jheains’ role, according to the officials, was to ensure that the remains were accorded due respect and were handled in a manner consistent with Islamic principles.

The Attorney General’s Cham­bers has instructed the police to conduct a more thorough investigation into the case, following spontaneous large public gatherings under the banner of #JusticeForZara in several major towns and districts across Sabah.

Thousands turned up Friday night separately in the Sandakan, Lahad Datu and Tawau districts to demand transparency in the investigations into Zara Qairina’s death amid safety concerns for their children in schools, especially at school hostels.

One of those who participated in the Sandakan gathering, Ahmad Jimmy, said that he was not satisfied with the slow investigation into the case, with nothing solid emerging after over three weeks.

“Most of us here feel the investigation is not transparent, which has ignited so many rumours. That is why there is a huge crowd; everyone here relates to what happened to Zara, as all of us have children going to schools, and some are in hostels,” said Ahmad.

“It can happen to anyone’s child; we should put a stop to bullying in our schools if it is true that Zara died of bullying,” said Ahmad, who said he decided to join because he strongly felt the need for everyone to curb such trends.

The rally in that district also highlighted the ongoing case of a student allegedly murdered by fellow dorm mates in Lahad Datu, with the victim’s mother saying that the investigation was done transparently and police kept her updated.

During the rallies, people carried banners, read poems, and offered prayers for Zara Qairina, while several activists and local people’s representatives ad­­dressed the gathering to express solidarity and sympathy for her.

They also chanted “Stop bullying” during the rallies that lasted about two hours from 7pm.

Similar gatherings are expected in other districts – Sipitang, Papar, Ranau, Kundasang,

Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor, who commented on Zara Qairina’s death for the first time, said he welcomed the Attorney General’s Chambers’ decision to order police to further investigate her death. In a Facebook post, Hajiji said that this case not only touched the feelings of the people in Sabah but also received widespread attention throughout the country and its neighbouring countries.

“This clearly shows that there is a common demand from everyone to see justice for Zara,” he said, adding that he had full confidence that the authorities would conduct a transparent and comprehensive investigation.

Hajiji urged the public to maintain composure, resist speculation, and allow the investigations to move forward.

“Our priority is to ensure that the truth is revealed and justice is served through the right channels,” he added.

Zara Qairina died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17.

However, family lawyers highlighted that there was no post mortem carried out and wanted an inquest to be held in connection with her death, which was initially investigated as suicide.

The lawyers also raised questions as to why police did not conduct forensic examination on the clothes worn by Zara Qairina and also audio voice messages between Zara Qairina and her mother where she (Zara) talked of being bullied by some seniors.

Police have since seized the clothes and also been given the audio recordings.