Hundreds of Sabahans have gathered in several locations across the state to call for justice for the late Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
A livestream on Sandakan MP Vivian Wong’s TikTok account showed a crowd had gathered outside Harbour Mall in the constituency, with the protesters chanting “justice for Zara” and “murderer”.
It is understood that the protest started at about 8pm and was ongoing at the time of writing, though its organiser is unclear.
Social media posts showed similar gatherings being held in Lahad Datu and Tawau, while more rallies in solidarity with Zara are planned in other locations in the coming days.
FMT has reached out to Sabah police for comment.
Zara was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after she allegedly fell from the third floor of her school’s hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu the following day.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has ordered the police to exhume her body so that a post-mortem could be conducted and the investigation into her death completed.
The AGC said that after reviewing the preliminary report by the police into the teenager’s death, it found a need for the matter to be investigated further.
Sabah police commissioner Jauteh Dikun previously said they had not ruled out the possibility that she had been bullied.
Separately, state assistant youth and sports minister Fairuz Renddan said the Sabah government fully supported calls for a transparent investigation into Zara’s death.
Fairuz said he met Jauteh over the case yesterday.
“As a father, I can imagine and feel what the mother of the deceased is going through. We will continue to push for justice until this case is completed, and we hope all parties remain strong and united for the late Zara,” he said, according to The Borneo Post.
