Kota Kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and his wife Datin Seri Juliah Salag met the mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, Noraidah Lamat, at Sri Gaya Wednesday to convey their condolences and deep sympathy.
The meeting was also attended by Mutiara GRS members.
“On behalf of the State Government, I express my deepest sympathy and condolences to the family of the late Zara Qairina. We pray that the family will be given strength to face this challenge,” said Hajiji.
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 at the outset and as proof that the State Government was concerned about this issue, he had directed the Minister responsible for the Sabah education portfolio Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif and Kawang Assemblyman Datuk Seri Ghulamhaidar Khan Bahadar to visit the late Zara Qairina while she was still receiving treatment at the hospital.
Hajiji said the wave of solidarity #JusticeforZara initiated by netizens demanding justice for the late Zara Qairina is commendable, but the public should avoid making unwarranted speculations.
“We leave it to the police and other relevant authorities to conduct the investigation and hope this can be completed as soon as possible,” he added.
Meanwhile, Juliah expressed understanding of a mother’s feelings who has lost a beloved child.
“The safety of children, especially boarding school students, must be prioritised to prevent tragedies like this from recurring,” she said.
The late Zara Qairina, a Form 1 student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, died on July 17 after being found unconscious near her dormitory, a shocking incident that has led to calls for tightened student safety measures.
