Sabah journalists warns of harassment, fake news in Zara case coverage

LocalPolitics
19 Aug 2025 • 2:32 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: Sabah Publishing House Sdn Bhd

KOTA KINABALU: The Sabah Journalists Association (SJA) has voiced concern over safety and media integrity issues during coverage of the late Zara Qairina case.

Its president Mariah Doksil said two female reporters “felt unsafe when an unidentified individual stood uncomfortably close to them” during a recent inquest press conference.

She said untrained individuals had also disrupted official coverage, entering media zones and later monetising livestreams.

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');});“This undermines journalistic work and creates confusion,” Mariah said in a statement.

The association also warned against misinformation, citing false claims about legal proceedings, and urged authorities to tighten access protocols in courts and other restricted areas.

“Responsible reporting, not sensationalism, best serves public interest and justice,” she stressed.