Saifuddin to address Zara Qairina’s case in Parliament on Monday

The home minister says the issue needs clarification as it has been widely raised by parliamentarians.

Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu earlier today.

PETALING JAYA:

 Home minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will address the Dewan Rakyat on Monday concerning the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir.

He said the matter required clarification as it had been frequently brought up by parliamentarians, reported Bernama.

“I have chosen Monday to deliver a ministerial statement in Parliament on this issue,” he said at a press conference in Kota Kinabalu.

Zara was found unconscious at 4am on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school’s hostel in Papar, Sabah. She died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital the following day.

Yesterday, Bukit Aman criminal investigation department director M Kumar said that the case, initially classified as sudden death, is now being investigated for possible criminal elements, including bullying.

He also said the ongoing investigations would run concurrently with the inquest ordered by the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) into Zara’s death.

Kumar said the officer in charge of investigating the death failed to follow proper procedures by not requesting a post-mortem, which was warranted as the death occurred under suspicious circumstances.

The AGC had instructed police to exhume Zara’s body and a post-mortem was conducted last week.

Kumar said the results were consistent with the initial diagnosis that Zara died from brain injuries caused by a fall. - FMT