Thousands join east coast Sabah vigils for Zara, call for justice

Summary

• Thousands rally in three Sabah east coast towns to demand justice for 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, whose death has sparked outrage.

• Case has become a rallying point for wider demands to address bullying in schools.

• Sandakan MP Vivian Wong wants school authorities to take bullying seriously, not dismiss incidents as “just playing around”.

Thousands gathered across three east coast towns in Sabah last night to demand justice for 13-year-old schoolgirl Zara Qairina Mahathir, whose death last month has sparked outrage over bullying in schools.

An estimated 3,000 people filled the Bulatan Pasar Chester in Tawau on Friday evening, many dressed in black and holding placards reading “Keadilan Untuk Zara” (Justice for Zara) and “Hentikan Buli” (Stop Bullying) while chanting slogans.

In Sandakan, around 1,000 people attended a candlelight vigil at the Harbour Mall esplanade (above).

“We only want justice for her - that is our focus for tonight,” said Kadir Abdul Jalil, one of the organisers.

Another vigil was held in Lahad Datu town around the clock tower, though attendance numbers could not be confirmed.

Sandakan MP Vivian Wong, who joined the gathering, said the vigils sent a clear message to the government that the public wanted the truth.

“This is about a life, and the investigation must be detailed. Right now, the family has no closure. The initial investigation was done too quickly and not in detail,” she told reporters during the vigil.

She also urged the public to stop sharing unverified claims about the case online, warning that such speculation hurts the grieving family.

“Without facts, we should not share information that could hurt them,” she said.

Wong further linked the case to wider concerns over bullying in Malaysian schools, calling on teachers and headmasters to take complaints seriously instead of dismissing them as “just playing around”.

In Lahad Datu, residents gathered in the town centre, holding candles in silence before reciting prayers. Similar gatherings have been reported in Semporna, with more planned in the coming days.

The wave of vigils began last Sunday in Kota Kinabalu, where about 300 people braved heavy rain to take part. Sipitang is due to host the next event on Sunday afternoon at the Sipitang Esplanade.

AGC orders exhumation

The vigils coincided with the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) ordering police to exhume Zara’s remains for a second post-mortem, following a review of the preliminary investigation report submitted by the police.

The AGC concluded that further work was needed to ensure “all aspects of the investigation are carried out thoroughly.”

Zara was found unconscious in a drain below her school dormitory in Papar on July 16 and died the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital I in Kota Kinabalu.

Her family believes bullying may have played a role. Her mother, Noraidah Lamat, has been calling for the exhumation since late July, after recalling bruises on her daughter’s back during the funeral washing ritual.

The family’s lawyers have criticised what they described as the “limited scope” of the initial police investigation, and are pushing for a formal inquest as well as the appointment of a more experienced investigator from Bukit Aman, the federal police headquarters.

‘Public frustration and online speculation’

Police have interviewed 60 people, including students, teachers, and parents, as public frustration has grown - fuelled in part by unverified claims circulating on social media.

The family’s lawyers have dismissed as baseless rumours that Zara had been placed in a washing machine, urging anyone with credible information to go directly to the police.

They also reminded the public that circulating photos of students or their personal data could breach Malaysian child protection, communications, and privacy laws.

For many who gathered on Friday night, the case has become a rallying point for wider demands to tackle bullying in Malaysian schools.

“If we do not stand with the children, who will protect them?” said Wong.

A student speaker in Tawau voiced a similar sentiment: “This is about justice for Zara, but it’s also about every child who deserves to be safe at school.”

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