COMMENT | On July 17, the quiet town of Papar, Sabah, was shaken to its core by the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, a Form One student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha.

She was found unconscious in a drain near her hostel, believed to have fallen from the third floor. Her passing, swiftly associated in the public mind with bullying, ignited a storm of grief, anger, and disbelief across the nation.

The absence of a complete forensic investigation, coupled with unanswered questions, gave rise to suspicions of a cover-up and hints of powerful involvement. To many, this was no longer just a personal tragedy but a damning reflection of systemic failure to protect the country’s children.

The call for decisive reform did not emerge in a vacuum. In April this year, Mara chairperson Asyraf Wajdi Dusuki...