Kota kinabalu: Chief Minister Datuk Seri Hajiji Noor has called on the public to fully respect the ongoing investigation and the rule of law regarding the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir. He urged the public not to make assumptions and to seek information only from credible sources regarding the incident.

According to BERNAMA News Agency, the state government extends its sympathies to the family of the deceased. However, it is important that the public refrain from speculating. ‘Let the legal process proceed as it should,’ Hajiji told reporters after attending the Bajau Samah Cultural Festival launch at Lok Batik here today.

The four-day festival was officiated by Sabah Yang di-Pertua Negeri Tun Musa Aman, who was accompanied by his wife, Toh Puan Faridah Tussin, and Tourism, Arts and Culture deputy minister Datuk Khairul Firdaus Akbar Khan.

Last Friday, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) issued a statement announcing that Zara Qairina’s body would be exhumed for an autopsy to ensure a thorough investigation into the circumstances surrounding her death. The AGC emphasised the need for further investigation by the Royal Malaysia Police to ensure all aspects of the case are examined comprehensively.

On Monday, the teenager’s body was exhumed from the Tanjung Ubi Muslim Cemetery in Kampung Mesapol, Sipitang, about 130 kilometres from here. It was then transported to Queen Elizabeth I Hospital for the autopsy. Zara Qairina was confirmed dead at the hospital on July 17 after being found unconscious in a drain near a religious school hostel in Papar at 4 am on July 16.