SEPANG: An English teacher was charged at a Sepang Magistrate's Court on Thursday (Aug 21) with making a statement likely to cause public alarm over the death of Form 1 student Zara Qairina Mahathir, Sinar Harian reports.
The accused, Siti Hajar Aflah Shaharuddin, however, pleaded not guilty before Magistrate Khairatul Animah Jelani after the charge was read during the proceedings on Thursday morning, the Malay language daily reported.
"I plead not guilty," said Siti Hajar.
The prosecution, led by Deputy Public Prosecutors Nadia Mohd Izhar and Christhoper Enteri Mawan, was conducted under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code, which carries a penalty of up to two years in prison, a fine, or both, upon conviction.
According to the charge, Siti Hajar, 39, was accused of making a statement that could cause public alarm and incite someone to commit an offence against public tranquility via the TikTok account SHA_Abrienda.
The offence was allegedly committed by the English teacher, who works at a secondary school in Rawang, Selangor, at 1:20pm on Aug 6, where the statement was seen by a police officer at KL International Airport (KLIA).
Lawyer Mohamad Zaiful Bahrin Kamde requested that the court grant a minimal bail, considering his client had cooperated well with the authorities throughout the investigation.
"During the investigation, the accused voluntarily surrendered to the police and was not remanded. Clearly, the accused is not a flight risk.
"The accused is a single mother of three school-going children aged 12, 11, and 10, and also supports her parents," he said.
Magistrate Khairatul Animah granted bail at RM4,000 with one surety and set Oct 4 as the date for document submission.
Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Comm Datuk M. Kumar said, in a press conference on Aug 1, that a 39-year-old woman was also detained in Rawang, Selangor, for allegedly spreading false information regarding the case.
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail revealed that the teacher admitted that her TikTok content claiming Zara Qairina died after being placed in a washing machine was merely for "content".
Zara Qairina, a student of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha, was found unconscious near a drain after allegedly falling from the third floor of the school dormitory on July 16.
She subsequently passed away on July 17, a day later.
