20/08/2025

WEDNESDAY | AUG 20, 2025

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‘Prosecution, inquest can be held simultaneously in bullying case’ KUALA LUMPUR: There is no element of “double process” if the prosecution of suspects in the bullying case of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir is conducted simultaneously with inquest proceedings to investigate her death, said legal experts. suspects believed to be involved in the student’s bullying case. According to the AGC, the prosecution of the suspects would not affect the investigation being conducted by the police and the inquest proceedings in court the accused are guilty under the charges brought against them.” He said while witness statements from the inquest cannot be used directly as evidence in the prosecution, the witnesses may be called to testify in court. Yesterday, the Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court set Sept 3 for the start of inquest proceedings to investigate the cause of Zara Qairina’s death. provide clearer answers to Zara Qairina’s family about what really happened.”

(AGC) initiates charges based on police investigations. Once sufficient evidence is established, prosecution follows. Even with charges filed, inquest proceedings can continue to determine the existence of other criminal elements or misconduct besides bullying,” he told Bernama. “Following the inquest, additional charges could also be brought against other parties if the evidence supports it. The bullying charges will not disrupt or interfere with the inquest.” Geethan was commenting on the AGC’s statement on Monday that it had decided to charge several

Pensioner scammed of over RM90,000 KUALA TERENGGANU: A government pensioner lost RM94,463 after falling victim to an online investment scam syndicate. Kuala Terengganu police chief ACP Azli Mohd Noor said on Aug 14, the 59-year-old man came across an investment advertisement on the Telegram app and followed instructions from the suspect by registering on an investment website. “The man, a resident of Batu Rakit in Kuala Nerus, initially invested RM200, and soon noticed that the profit displayed in his investment account increased sharply. “He then made additional investments totalling RM94,263 across six different accounts between Aug 14 and 17, hoping to secure higher profits.” Azli said the man realised he had been scammed after failing to withdraw money from the investment account. “He lodged a police report after losing his pension savings of RM94,463 in an instant. The case is being investigated under Section 420 of the Penal Code.” – Bernama Zara Qairina, 13, was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory on July 16 and died a day later at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital. Attorney-General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar said five minors would be charged at the Kota Kinabalu Children’s Court in connection with the bullying case.

“There will be no contradiction in facts or outcomes because both are separate processes. The inquest is to determine the cause of death, the prosecution determines guilt. “In fact, inquest proceedings can help the prosecution or authorities strengthen their case. These two processes together can speed up or

Lawyer Abu Dzar Mohd Annuar said the inquest would not interfere with the prosecution process as both serve different purposes. “Inquest proceedings are not conducted to establish guilt but rather to determine the cause and manner of death. Prosecutions, on the other hand, are to determine whether

Lawyer Datuk Geethan Ram Vincent said charges have already been filed against several suspects in connection with the bullying incident, while the inquest is meant to determine the cause and circumstances of Zara Qairina’s death. “The Attorney-General’s Chambers

12-year-old sells explicit pictures of herself, peers online

Ű BY FAIZ RUZMAN newsdesk@thesundaily.com

o Girl left school because monthly income was greater than combined earnings of her parents, says minister

filed under the Penal Code and proceedings are ongoing in court. Saifuddin Nasution also said the Home Ministry has cleared a backlog of 19,205 permanent residency (PR) entry permit applications accumulated from 2013 to 2023. He said the task force under the Immigration Department had approved 15,081 applications and rejected 4,124, while 2,575 applications recorded in 2024 are expected to be resolved this month. Saifuddin was replying to Tan Hong Pin (Bakri-PH) who asked about government efforts to clear the remaining entry permit applications and short-term measures for unsuccessful applicants. “As of June this year, we received 1,900 applications and I have instructed officers at the Home Ministry and the National Registration Department to complete all of them by September. “This enables us to process about 300 new entry permit applications per month.”

PETALING JAYA: A 12-year-old girl who ran a website selling explicit images of herself and her peers has been identified as the central figure in a case that prompted police to break up a group known as Geng Budak Sekolah . Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail told Parliament yesterday that the girl, along with four other children, had coordinated the sale of sexual images online and set up a WhatsApp group that grew to 762 members. “The girl left school because her monthly income from selling the photos was greater than the combined earnings of her parents. This is an alarming development.” The case is being pursued under the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, with investigators from the federal police’s D11 Sexual, Women and Child Investigations Division

Vice, Gambling and Secret Societies Division. He said enforcement agencies currently rely on five main legal instruments – the Penal Code, the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998, the Sexual Offences Against Children Act 2017, the Film Censorship Act 2002 and state-level syariah enactments. Saifuddin Nasution cited an operation last year in which D7 infiltrated a website promoting swinger activities. A subsequent raid at a luxury condominium in Kuala Lumpur led to the arrest of university students, civil servants and foreign nationals. He said charges have since been

leading enforcement efforts. Saifuddin Nasution said the case showed how technology could be misused to exploit minors and stressed the need for cooperation among ministries and agencies to address the issue. He was replying to Sabri Azit (Jerai-PNi) who asked about government measures against online sexual crimes, including so-called “swinger” activities involving civil servants and university students, and whether existing laws were effective. Saifuddin Nasution said “swinger” crimes (defined as individuals or couples who voluntarily exchange partners for sexual activity) are handled separately by D7, the Anti

Drugs worth RM4.16m, enough for 2.8 million addicts, seized MALACCA: Police have busted a drug trafficking syndicate using a luxury condominium as a storage facility, seizing various types of drugs, including ganja weighing about 94.84kg with an estimated street value of RM4.16 million, in a series of raids across the Klang Valley and Malacca on Aug 13. the third suspect, a local man, was arrested in Ayer Molek. He added that a search of his car revealed heroin base drugs weighing about 18.25kg and various other drugs.

“Overall, the seized drugs included ganja (94.84kg), ganja buds (2.58kg), ketamine (42.23kg), syabu (143g), Eramin 5 pills (810g) and heroin base (18.25kg). “Police also seized a Toyota Estima valued at RM70,000 and two other vehicles, a Perodua Myvi and Toyota Estima, bringing the total value of seized drugs and assets to RM4.233 million.” Hussein added that intelligence indicated the syndicate had been active since last April, and the total amount of drugs seized could supply up to 2.815 million addicts. He said one of the three suspects tested positive for tetrahydrocannabinol (a psychoactive compound in cannabis) while two of them had previous records related to crime and drugs. “All suspects have been remanded for seven days from Aug 14 for further investigation under Section 39B of the Dangerous Drugs Act 1952.” – Bernama

Bukit Aman Narcotics Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk Hussein Omar Khan said the operations conducted from 4.15pm to 6.10pm also resulted in the arrest of three men, including a Pakistani national, aged 25 to 46. “In the first raid at a condominium compound in Bukit Jalil, Kuala Lumpur, police arrested a local man and a Pakistani national. Upon searching the suspects and their vehicle, authorities found 26.73kg of ganja. “Subsequent searches of a unit of the same condominium uncovered a drug storage facility containing various types of drugs, including ganja buds, ketamine and syabu , ” he said at a media conference at the Malacca contingent police headquarters yesterday. Hussein said during a second raid

Hussein (centre) showing the drug haul in Malacca yesterday. – BERNAMAPIC