THE family of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir has had enough of rumours pertaining to her death going viral on social media.
Her mother’s lawyers on Wednesday said the viral claims that Zara was put in a washing machine is nothing but “pure speculation”, stressing that such information was never revealed to anyone.
“We urge the woman in that video to take whatever information she has to the police, not social media,” lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri said.
The lawyers also dismissed another widely shared post of a graphic timeline suggesting Zara was only brought to Queen Elizabeth I Hospital at 8:00 am on 16 August, claiming it was baseless.
“Speculation only adds to our client’s stress and grief,” the lawyers said, appealing for empathy as the family waits for the case to run its course.
The legal team reminded the public that posting photos of school students with negative remarks is a crime under the Child Act and the Communications and Multimedia Act.
They also warned that circulating student name lists with personal details may also violate Malaysia’s data protection laws.
They have asked anyone who has shared such videos or posts to delete them – and urged those with actual evidence to hand it over to the police.
Zara’s death last month after allegedly falling from her Papar school dormitory has ignited a social media storm, with the hashtag #JusticeForZara trending as parents and students alike demand answers.
In another development, the personal belongings of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, including the clothes she wore on the day she allegedly fell from her school dormitory, have been handed over to police to facilitate the investigation.
“This is everything, her clothes and personal items, including what she had on during the incident,” said Hamid.
The items were delivered around 2pm yesterday at his office, following a call from investigators the day before. The handover came after police finally requested the items.
Until now, police had neither collected nor asked for the belongings.
Zara’s death on 17 July sent shockwaves through Sabah. She was found unconscious after allegedly falling from her school dormitory and was later pronounced dead at the Queen Elizabeth I Hospital.
The incident went viral online, sparking public concern after social media users linked it to allegations of bullying.
Her family has since applied for an inquest to determine whether there were criminal elements behind the tragedy, but no updates have emerged so far. - August 6, 2025
