Zara's death fuels renewed push for justice in 2013 tahfiz student case

 

Public outrage over the tragic death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir in Sabah has reignited old wounds.

In Kelantan last night, a solidarity gathering demanded authorities reopen investigations into the death of tahfiz student Wan Ahmad Faris Wan Abdul Rahman, who died 12 years ago.

The “Justice for Faris” solidarity gathering took place at Dataran Warisan, within the grounds of Sultan Muhammad IV Stadium in Kota Bharu.

According to Berita Harian, the family’s lawyer Alias Ibrahim said several key testimonies presented during the inquest proceedings nine years ago should have been sufficient to initiate a criminal investigation.

“There were crucial pieces of evidence such as the name of a suspect, police reports, and the discovery of DNA samples on a sarong found with the victim, as well as a pair of slippers at the location where his body was discovered.

“However, as a lawyer, I am disappointed and frustrated that important evidence, such as DNA and fingerprints, was not thoroughly analysed, even though the information was presented during the coroner’s proceedings.

“The evidence and testimony presented in the Coroner’s Court in 2016 were already sufficient, but perhaps not strong enough to fully trigger a criminal investigation and prosecution,” he said.

Possible motive

Alias also revealed that the possible motive behind the incident could involve elements of bullying and revenge, following several incidents that left certain parties dissatisfied with the deceased.

“I have personally handled this case for the past 12 years. What the public has seen and read in court notes circulating on social media are actually facts that were once heard in official court proceedings, not fabrications,” he said.

At the same time, Alias stated that the family’s civil suit against the federal government and the police, filed last July, will be heard for the first time at the Kota Bharu High Court on Aug 26.

They are also pressing for the criminal investigation to no longer be handled by the Kelantan police team, but instead by a team from Bukit Aman headquarters, to ensure transparency and accountability, given the public interest in the case.

In December 2013, Wan Faris, then a Form Four student, was found hanging in the toilet of the Nurul Aman Science Tahfiz School hostel in Kok Lanas.

His body was discovered by a hostel warden after noticing a foul smell from the toilet. The post-mortem classified the case as a sudden death, with no criminal elements involved. - Mkini