MoE pledges full probe into Form One student’s death in Papar, vows transparency, says minister

Education Minister Fadhlina Sidek said the ministry is giving top priority to the case of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who died after being found unconscious in a drain near a school hostel in Papar, Sabah.

She gave her assurance that a fair and transparent investigation would be carried out to ensure justice is served.

“We are fully cooperating with the Royal Malaysia Police. So, for this matter, all aspects related to assisting the investigation are being given full attention … we also need to be fair by ensuring the well-being of the school community,” she said.

She said this when winding up the debate on the Education (Amendment) Bill 2025 in the Dewan Rakyat today.

Zara Qairina, 13, was pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu at 11 am on July 17.

She had been taken to the hospital for treatment after being found unconscious in a drain near the hostel of a religious school at 4 am on July 16.

Meanwhile, Fadhlina said the amendments to the Education Act 1996 (Act 550), which were passed in the Dewan Rakyat tonight to make secondary education compulsory, aim to ensure that parents share responsibility in their children’s education.

She said the Ministry of Education (MOE) is committed to ensuring that children continue to attend school even if they face various challenges, including poverty.

“We have coordinated assistance at the MOE level to ensure that our children receive the necessary support, be it in terms of scholarships or other school-related assistance such as uniforms and so on,” she said.

The House will sit again tomorrow.