Kota kinabalu: Justice and accountability in the case involving the late Zara Qairina Mahathir must be fully upheld in accordance with the law, said Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail. He emphasized that truth and justice for the victim cannot be determined through conversations on social media or public opinion.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, Saifuddin questioned the motives behind a series of demonstrations, asking whether the goal was to seek truth and uphold justice, which must align with legal processes. He stressed that conclusions cannot be drawn from statements by a pathologist detained recently or a teacher's theory that Zara was murdered and abused with a washing machine. He asserted that truth and justice must go through a legal investigation process conducted by the police, which is currently underway.

The Home Minister acknowledged the circulation of many rumors regarding the student's death and anticipated that such claims would persist, despite his presentation of the investigation report in the Dewan Rakyat. He noted that slander and false news would continue to spread.

Saifuddin revealed that 195 witness statements have been recorded to ensure the investigation is comprehensive. He explained that the process takes time, referencing the recent submission to the Attorney-General's Chambers, which led to the charging of five underage teenagers under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code in the Kota Kinabalu Juvenile Court.

Zara Qairina passed away at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17 after being discovered unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory on the morning of July 16.