KUALA LUMPUR, Aug 23 — Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil has denied ordering restrictions against social media content about the Zara Qairina incident, after he was accused of doing so by a Facebook user.
Zara Qairina, 13, was found unconscious near her school dormitory in Sabah on July 16 and pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital the next day. She is believed to have suffered bullying, neglect, and sexual harassment.
The case led to a police investigation, including analysis of her diary, exhumation of her body for a second post-mortem, and charges against five teenagers accused of bullying her, marking the first case under a new section of the Penal Code in Malaysia.
Today, Fahmi said the allegations against him made under the “Datu Bentan Alamin” account were completely false and amounted to defamation.
“I have never at any time issued the statement or directive as alleged.
“A police report has been lodged against the owner of the Facebook account who spread this slander,” he wrote on his Facebook page.
He added that a report was also submitted to the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) for further action.
He also urged the public to refrain from spreading false information about Zara Qairina for political or personal gain.
