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FORMER Sabah Chief Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal arrived at the Kota Kinabalu Sessions Court on Wednesday to attend a committal proceeding in connection with allegations of contempt of court arising from remarks he made about the ongoing inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Shafie, who is also the Semporna Member of Parliament and president of Parti Warisan, arrived around 9 a.m. accompanied by his legal team, which included Chen Ket Chuin KC, Jakariya Ab Jalil, and Bartholomew Jingulam.
The proceedings were presided over by Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan, with the prosecution represented by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohamad Mustaffa P Kunyalan.
The allegations of contempt relate to a speech Shafie delivered in Sandakan last year, in which he described the teenager’s death as a “murder” and questioned the procedures followed by the police and forensic pathology experts.
Zara Qairina, a Form One student, was found unconscious on 16 July 2025 beneath a school hostel building in Papar and was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH).
The inquest into her death, which commenced on 3 September 2025, is ongoing to determine the circumstances and cause of the young student’s passing.
Shafie’s committal hearing underscores the judiciary’s insistence on maintaining the integrity of court proceedings, even as public figures comment on sensitive, ongoing investigations. - February 11, 2026