THE Attorney-General, Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, has confirmed that Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal submitted a written reply on Monday in response to a show-cause notice issued over his remarks about the ongoing inquest into the death of student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Mohd Dusuki told Bernama that the Attorney-General’s Chambers received the reply on 29 September.
The show-cause notice was issued on 22 September after Mohd Shafie allegedly questioned the protracted duration of the inquest during the ‘Jelajah Inspirasi DSSA P187 Kinabatangan’ event on 20 September. The politician was given seven days to respond.
On 22 September, the AGC stated it was carefully reviewing all aspects of Mohd Shafie’s comments regarding the case. It also warned that it would not hesitate to take firm legal action, including contempt of court proceedings, once the review is complete.
A video clip from a dinner event showing Mohd Shafie speaking about the inquest’s length had earlier gone viral.
Zara Qairina, aged 13, passed away on 17 July at Kota Kinabalu’s Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel in Papar early on 16 July. On 8 August, the AGC ordered the exhumation of her remains for a post-mortem examination and subsequently announced an inquest into her death on 13 August.
The inquest began on 3 September, with 16 witnesses, including eight children, having testified thus far. - October 2, 2025
