Kota Kinabalu: The Malaysian People’s Power Movement (G57) raised concerns over the slow pace of investigations into the death of Form One student Zara Qairina, who is believed to have been the victim of serious bullying at SMK Agama Tun Mustapha in Papar.
G57 pledged to provide additional legal assistance to Zara’s family, including legal advice and representation, to help them seek justice through proper channels.
Its Chairman Datuk Zulkarnain Mahdar said the movement had initially withheld public comment to allow authorities time to carry out investigations, but said the lack of progress has now become a cause for concern.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});He said it received complaints and informal reports suggesting that the investigation may be facing interference due to the possible involvement of a child linked to a person of high social standing.
“If the investigation is being delayed or shielded because of someone’s title or influence, that is unacceptable. Legal processes must be allowed to run without obstruction,” he said, Friday.
Zulkarnain said it decided to formally support the family’s next steps, including suing the school and any parties who may have been negligent or complicit in the events leading to Zara’s death.
He said pressure would continue to be placed on the authorities to ensure regular, transparent updates are provided to the family and the public. Zulkarnain said Zara’s death reflects a wider pattern of safety concerns within school environments, particularly regarding how bullying is handled.
He said institutions must be prepared to take responsibility when safeguards fail and urged the Ministry of Education to review how such cases are managed at both school and district levels.