Home Minister To Address Zara Qairina Case In Parliament On Monday

KOTA KINABALU, Aug 14 (Bernama) -- Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail will address the case regarding the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir in Parliament on Monday.

He said it was essential to clarify the issue as members of the lower house of Parliament had widely raised the matter.

"I have chosen Monday (to deliver the minister's statement) in Parliament on this issue," he told reporters after chairing the Main Committee for the Management of Foreigners in Sabah (JKPWAS-INDUK) 2022 meeting and the Sabah State Special Committee on Citizenship Status (JKKSK) meeting here today.

Zara Qairina was confirmed dead at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on July 17 after being admitted to the hospital when found unconscious in a drain near the dormitory of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha, Papar, at 4 am on July 16.

Yesterday, Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar said the investigation into the death, previously classified as a sudden death, will now focus on potential criminal elements, including bullying.

The Attorney General's Chambers will also conduct an inquest into the student's death after reviewing the investigation report submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police.

Meanwhile, with regards to the case involving Pandan MP Datuk Seri Rafizi Ramli's son, the home minister said the police would make every effort to track down the perpetrator of the incident.

He said the matter was not about whose child was involved but about the police's responsibility in ensuring public order, safety and the protection of all citizens, especially children.

"I leave it to the wisdom and swiftness of the police to handle this, and I pray that his son and wife recover quickly from the trauma," he also said.

It was reported yesterday that the former economy minister Rafizi's son was dragged out of their family car by two individuals dressed in black, with full-face helmets, and stabbed with a syringe at a shopping mall in Putrajaya at about 2 pm.

-- BERNAMA