Malaysia

Zara Qairina case: Teacher pleads not guilty to spreading fake news

Siti Hajar Alfah Sharuddin, 39, entered her plea after the charge was read before magistrate Khairatul Animah Jelani.

Updated 9 months ago · Published on 21 Aug 2025 12:23PM

Zara Qairina case: Teacher pleads not guilty to spreading fake news
Siti Hajar was accused of making the statements on her TikTok account, SHA_Abrienda - August 21, 2025

A SCHOOLTEACHER claimed trial at the Sepang magistrate's court today to a charge of allegedly spreading unverified information regarding the death of Form One student, Zara Qairina Mahathir.

Siti Hajar Alfah Sharuddin, 39, entered her plea after the charge was read before magistrate Khairatul Animah Jelani.

According to the charge, Siti Hajar, a single mother, was accused of making the statements on her TikTok account, SHA_Abrienda.

The statement was seen and heard by a police officer at the Kuala Lumpur International Airport (KLIA) Terminal 2 at about 1.20pm on Aug 6.

She was charged under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code which provides for a maximum sentence of two years' imprisonment or a fine or both.

It was earlier reported that Zara Qairina, who was also a Form 1 student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Sabah, was found unconscious near the school's dormitory drain at 3am, July 16 before being confirmed dead the next day.

Her death sparked public attention when it was initially classified as a sudden death report (SDR).

The Royal Malaysian Police (PDRM) had previously opened 15 investigation papers regarding the spread of false news regarding the death of the Form One student, including allegations that the victim was put in a washing machine. – August 21, 2025

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