KOTA KINABALU: The lawyers representing the family of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir have urged the public to come forward with any credible information to assist police investigations, instead of spreading speculation online.
Lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri said rumours circulating on social media have no value unless they are shared directly with the police.
They acknowledged public frustration but called for trust in the investigation process, despite early shortcomings such as the absence of a post-mortem and failure to secure Zara’s clothing.
The lawyers were responding to a viral TikTok livestream by a user claiming Zara had been placed in a washing machine before being found near a drain at 3am.
They said the source of the claims was unknown and clarified that Zara’s mother had never shared such details with anyone.
The legal team also dismissed a widely shared timeline that alleged Zara was only taken to hospital at 8am on July 16, stressing it did not come from their client.
They warned that sharing student photos, personal data, and defamatory content may breach several laws including the Child Act, the Communications and Multimedia Act, and the Personal Data Protection Act.
