The Ministry of Education has temporarily reassigned the principal, senior assistant for student affairs, and all wardens of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Sabah to the State Education Department (JPN) until police complete investigations into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.
In a statement, the MOE said the decision followed the announcement by the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) that Bukit Aman’s special task force had taken over the case.
“The MOE will fully cooperate with authorities to ensure the investigation is thorough and fair. This case is our top priority,” the statement read.
The ministry expressed hope that the investigation would be transparent and deliver justice for Zara’s family and all parties involved.
Zara, a Form One student at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha, was found unconscious in a drain near the school dormitory at about 4am on July 16 and died the next day at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.
Last Friday, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered her grave to be exhumed for a second autopsy to facilitate further investigation. On August 9, her remains were exhumed from the Tanjung Ubi Muslim Cemetery in Mesapol, Sipitang, and taken to Queen Elizabeth I Hospital for examination before being reburied in the early hours of August 10.
The case has sparked widespread public attention, with allegations that Zara may have been bullied by senior students prior to her death.
