Upko deputy president Datuk Donald Peter Mojuntin (pic) has urged for stern and proactive actions to tackle school bullying and strengthen procedures in suspicious death cases, following the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.
He said rising bullying incidents in schools, including cyberbullying, have become a serious concern, with official data showing more than 11,500 students involved as of October this year.
Donald stressed that bullying causes lasting harm, including depression, anxiety, and a higher risk of suicidal behaviour, and called for collective action from families, schools, communities, and government agencies, supported by existing programmes like the Education Ministry’s BEST initiative.
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 also emphasised the importance of mandatory post-mortems in sudden or suspicious deaths under Sections 329 and 331 of the Criminal Procedure Code, saying these are key to uncovering the truth and ensuring justice.
Donald welcomed the Attorney-General’s Chambers’ decision to hold a full inquest into Zara’s death, expressing hope it would provide her family with clarity and peace of mind while serving as a turning point in addressing both bullying and investigative procedures.