KOTA KINABALU: The prosecution has submitted a total of 87 documents to five teenage girls charged in the Court for Children here with uttering offensive words against 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.
According to a brief issued by the Sabah Courts’ Public Relations Office, 15 documents were served on the first teenager, while 18 documents each were handed to the second, third, fourth and fifth.
An additional five documents are expected to be served on all five at the next pre-trial case management at the Kota Kinabalu Court for Children on Oct 16.
The case came before Sessions Court Judge Elsie Primus, who confirmed the trial would proceed from Dec 9 to 20 as scheduled.
The court also allowed the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (Suhakam) to hold a watching brief pursuant to Section 12(3)(c) of the Child Act 2001, despite earlier objections.
The five girls have been charged under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code for causing harassment, distress, fear or alarm to a person likely to feel harassed, distress, fear or alarmed.
Lawyers in the case confirmed that a gag order remains in place, limiting what can be shared publicly about proceedings.
The order, first sought by the accused’s legal team on Aug 20, was aimed at preventing prejudice and ensuring fairness.
“For now, the gag order is still active,” said counsel for the first child witness, Datuk Ram Singh.
Asked if there had been an application to strike out the order, Ram explained that the inquest into Zara Qairina’s death was an open proceeding, which already allowed media coverage, except for testimonies of child witnesses.
He said this issue was still being considered, given the strong public interest in the case.
Ram also confirmed that he had requested the court to initiate contempt proceedings against Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal for remarks made during a political event last week.
The move, he said, was supported by the Sabah Law Society and Suhakam.
However, Ram said that the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) has already issued Shafie with a show-cause letter, which the Warisan president must respond to within seven days starting Tuesday (Sept 23).
“We will wait for the AGC to decide on that, and we can reapply again if necessary,” Ram told reporters after the hearing.
Shafie, speaking at Warisan’s “Jelajah Inspirasi DSSA P187” event in Kinabatangan on Sept 20, described Zara Qairina’s death as “murder” and questioned the conduct of the authorities despite the inquest still being in progress.
His remarks have since drawn criticism from lawyers involved in the case, who described them as inflammatory and disrespectful to the court and Zara Qairina’s grieving family.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious at her boarding school dormitory in Papar on July 16 and died a day later at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Police initially classified the case as sudden death, but an inquest was ordered following public pressure and questions raised by her family.
On Aug 5, the AGC charged five of Zara Qairina’s schoolmates with using abusive words against her the night before she was found.
The case is set for mention again on Oct 16, when further documents will be served.
