Bullying not ruled out in Zara Qairina death probe, police record 60 statements

KOTA KINABALU: Police are in the final stages of their investigation into the death of a Form One student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan in Papar, who was found to have fallen from the school’s dormitory building.

Sabah police commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the investigation paper has been sent to Bukit Aman for final scrutiny before being forwarded to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (A-GC) for further action.

“A total of 60 witness statements have been recorded by the investigation team from the Sabah police contingent headquarters, along with other supporting documentation.

“At present, the investigation paper is with Bukit Aman for a final review before it is referred to the A-GC.

“The witnesses include students, parents, and school staff — including three students linked to the victim,” he said during a press conference at the Sabah police contingent headquarters today.

Jauteh said the investigation focused on two key aspects — the cause of death and the surrounding circumstances leading up to the incident.

“The incident occurred on July 16, and the student, Zara Qairina Mahathir, was confirmed dead the following day.

“On July 17, I held discussions with Sabah Criminal Investigation Department chief Datuk Azmi Abd Rahim, after which a special team from the police contingent headquarters was deployed to the school to assist in the investigation.

“Because the students involved were emotionally affected and traumatised, we brought in counselling experts to assist in recording statements and to ensure the process was carried out fairly and smoothly,” he said.

Commenting on speculation that bullying may have been involved, Jauteh said the police were not ruling it out but would leave it to Bukit Aman for a comprehensive review.

“We are not dismissing the possibility of bullying. The investigation is also examining that angle,” he said.

Jauteh also denied rumours that one of his children was enrolled at the school.

“None of my children have ever studied there. Such accusations are baseless and only serve to confuse the public. I want to make it clear that no child of mine is, or has ever been, a student at that school.

“There have been allegations that the child of someone influential — including myself — was involved. Let me be clear: that is untrue.

“This shows that there are irresponsible individuals online trying to stir up unnecessary speculation,” he said.

Responding to claims that the victim was the child of a high-profile individual, Jauteh said that was not the focus of the investigation.

“I’m not in a position to verify such claims, as there are many students at the school. Our investigation is not based on who the child’s parents are,” he said.

He stressed that the investigation has been conducted with professionalism and transparency, while also considering the emotional well-being of the student witnesses.

“It took us some time to complete this investigation, as it involved 60 witnesses. We couldn’t record all the statements at once.

“We also had to consider that the witnesses are students who may have only seen, heard, or interacted with the victim casually,” he added.

© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd

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