Kota Kinabalu: A 61-year-old was arrested in Semporna, Sunday, on suspicion of threatening a pathologist involved in the death inquest of Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Sabah Police Commissioner Datuk Jauteh Dikun said the arrest took place at 7am at the Semporna District Police Headquarters.
Last Friday, police received a report regarding a statement on Facebook containing criminal threats against Dr Jessie Hiu, a forensic pathologist at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital.
“An initial check on a seized Redmi mobile phone revealed that the suspect was the owner of the Facebook account ‘Amung Kamaruddin’, which made threatening statements against the pathologist,” he said in a statement.
The case is being investigated under Section 507 of the Penal Code and Section 233 of the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Act 1998.
He advised the public to use social media responsibly and avoid making statements that could disturb public peace and create societal anxiety.
Zara Qairina, 13, was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17. She had been admitted to the hospital the day before after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar at 4am.
Meanwhile, Parti Bumi Kenyalang (PBK) called for police protection to be provided to Dr Jessie Hiu of Queen Elizabeth Hospital following threats to her personal safety.
Dr Hiu’s safety is crucial due to her courageous testimony regarding the recent death of Zara Qairina Mahathir, said Datin Soh Kee Suat, Chairperson of PBK Sabah.
PBK said such threats indicate a troubling trend of individuals taking the law into their own hands.
The party urged the police to conduct a swift and thorough investigation to bring the perpetrators to justice.
PBK also sought police protection for the coroner involved in the inquest.
“The threat to Dr Jessie shows how sick our society is,” she said.
