Public urged not to politicise Zara Qairina case or use it for social media attention

LocalPolitics
15 Aug 2025 • 3:04 PM MYT
Daily Express
Daily Express

Daily Express Online (Malaysia) is Sabah's top-ranked & most viewed English news site. It is also Sabah's leading & most circulated daily English newspaper.

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By: Jonathan Nicholas

KOTA KINABALU: Darau Gagasan Rakyat chief Datuk Razali Razi has urged the public not to exploit the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir for political gain or social media attention.

Speaking ahead of a special prayer for Zara attended by around 200 people at Masjid Al-Munir in Kampung Darau on Friday night, he called for sensitivity towards the grieving family.

Razali said he respected netizens’ calls for justice but cautioned against those using the tragedy for personal popularity, adding, “This is about emotional support for the family, not making ourselves relevant.”

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 appealed to the public to avoid speculation, stressing that an inquest was necessary to uncover the facts and urging authorities to “either enforce or review the school’s anti-bullying system, if it’s loose, tighten it.”

“Treat this seriously, but don’t politicise it to become a hero. Zara must be remembered with compassion, held in our thoughts and prayers with hope for clarity and peace,” he said.

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