STATE leaders, including Sabah’s Head of State Tun Musa Aman, joined some 3,000 worshippers at the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque tonight for a special tahlil and prayer dedicated to the late Zara Qairina.
Accompanied by his wife, Toh Puan Faridah Tussin, Tun Musa arrived at 6.15pm and was welcomed by the mosque’s Grand Imam along with senior state officials.
Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor and his wife, Datin Seri Juliah Salag, were also in attendance, alongside Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Ir Shahelmey Yahya, State Assembly Speaker Datuk Seri Kadzim M Yahya, Science, Technology and Innovation Minister cum Religious and Education Exco Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Arif, and State Secretary Datuk Seri Safar Untong.
The gathering began with congregational Maghrib prayers, followed by solat hajat, the recitation of tahlil, and a special supplication led by the Grand Imam in memory of the 13-year-old.
The special tahlil and prayer, organised by the state government, took place simultaneously in mosques and suraus across the state, with the main congregation held at the Kota Kinabalu City Mosque.
Zara Qairina Mahathir, a Form 1 student at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, was found unconscious near a drain below her dormitory in the early hours of 16 July 2025. She died the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu. Her death was initially classified as “sudden death” and she was buried without a post-mortem.
Her mother, Noraidah Lamat, later raised concerns after seeing bruises on her daughter’s body during burial rites. On 3 August, she lodged a police report seeking an exhumation.
The Attorney-General’s Chambers approved the request, and on 9 August Zara’s remains were exhumed and reburied following an eight-hour post-mortem at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Bukit Aman has since taken over the investigation, with a special task force probing possible bullying elements under Section 507D(2) of the Penal Code, which criminalises acts of bullying that lead to death.
Police have recorded about 82 witness statements to date.
On 13 August, the AGC announced an inquest to determine the precise cause and circumstances of Zara’s death.
Her case has sparked widespread public grief and renewed calls for stronger anti-bullying measures, with Justice for Zara gatherings drawing large crowds in towns across Sabah since early August. – 14 August 2025
