Sabah students' group calls for reforms after Zara's death

Summary

• Suara Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) calls for comprehensive reforms to address bullying in boarding schools following teenager Zara Qairina Mahathir’s tragic death, including installing CCTV systems.

• Zara’s mother has instructed lawyers to initiate legal steps for exhuming her daughter’s remains for a post-mortem as she seeks answers about the real cause of death amid bullying allegations.

• Several MPs had also raised the case in Parliament and called for clarification on alleged criminal elements.

A Sabah students’ group has called for boarding school reform to mitigate bullying issues, after the tragic death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.

Suara Mahasiswa Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) also expressed its “highest level of solidarity” with the teenager’s family.

“This incident not only leaves serious grief for the family, but also serves as a clear indication of serious bullying problems in our educational institutions that require immediate attention and action.

“Reform of the boarding school education system to be more effective in addressing bullying issues, including the installation of closed-circuit television (CCTV), protection for complainants and informants, as well as comprehensive bullying awareness education programmes,” the group said.

Yesterday, it was reported that several MPs had raised Zara’s death when debating the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025 at the Dewan Rakyat.

They demanded that authorities address questions surrounding the death of the student, who was said to have been a victim of bullying.

In their statement today, the group also called for a transparent and thorough probe into the case.

“An honest and thorough investigation by the responsible authorities so that the truth can be revealed without any interference, for the sake of justice for the late Zara and her family,” they said.

Remains to be exhumed

Earlier, Berita Harian reported that the remains of the Form One student who died after being found unconscious in a drain near a school hostel in Papar, Sabah, are expected to be exhumed for a post-mortem.

The report quoted Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, 45, as having instructed lawyers to initiate the necessary legal steps.

Noraidah said she was never advised to request a post-mortem at the time of burial. Zara, who died on July 17, was buried on the same night.

“I want the questions that have been circling in my mind for the past 14 days about the real cause of Zara’s death to be answered,” said the mother, referring to bullying allegations that have since surfaced.

Earlier today, former higher education minister Saifuddin Abdullah said he had also raised the post-mortem issue with the family’s lawyers.

The Perikatan Nasional lawmaker, who oversees the coalition’s education portfolio, said he had advised the lawyers to ensure that the post-mortem is conducted, if it hasn’t been done.

VVIP link?

On Wednesday, Saifuddin highlighted the case in the Dewan Rakyat, posing queries on the actual cause of the student’s death and seeking confirmation on alleged criminal elements in the case.

He also sought the Education Ministry’s insight on claims that Zara’s school principal is related to a “VVIP”.

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry is giving top priority to the case, assuring that a fair and transparent investigation would be carried out to ensure justice is served.

Yesterday, Deputy Higher Education Minister Mustapha Sakmud called any attempts to link Zara’s death to his wife, a former principal at the girl’s school, baseless slander and political manipulation.

Mustapha explained that his wife had retired as the school’s principal eight months before Zara died.

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