KUALA LUMPUR – The five teenagers who will be charged tomorrow in connection with the case of Zara Qairina Mahathir are facing charges solely for acts of bullying and not for causing the death of the 13-year-old student, said the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC).
As such, it added, an inquest is still necessary to determine the actual cause of the teenager’s death.
“This department reiterates that the charge under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code in this case is based on the evidence and facts obtained through investigations.
“Based on our review of the investigation papers, the charge under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code refers strictly to acts of bullying and is not linked to Zara Qairina’s death,” it said in a statement today.
Earlier, lawyers representing Zara Qairina’s mother, Noraida Lamat, had requested that the AGC defer the prosecution under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code, proposing instead a charge under Section 507D(2).
The legal team comprised Hamid Ismail, Shahlan Jufri, Rizwandean M Borhan, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, and Farrah Nasser.
In a joint statement, they argued that charging the five suspects with bullying under Section 507C(1) — which refers to causing disturbance, stress, fear, or anxiety that could result in imprisonment of up to one year, a fine, or both — was too lenient.
The AGC responded by saying the lawyers’ claims were speculative and not supported by facts.
Previously, Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar confirmed that the AGC would proceed with charging the five female teenagers in the Kota Kinabalu Juvenile Court tomorrow, despite the request from Zara Qairina’s family lawyers.
The late Zara Qairina, 13, a student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha, was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital I on July 17, a day after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4am on July 16.
Her remains were exhumed on August 9 for a post-mortem following allegations of bullying. – August 19, 2025