SEPANG, April 9 (Bernama) -- The Magistrate's Court here today set June 11 to 12 as the date for the continuation of the trial of a school English teacher who was charged with causing public alarm by claiming that Zara Qairina Mahathir was put in a washing machine.
Magistrate Suriani Ujang set the date for the first day of trial proceedings involving Siti Hajar Aflah Sharuddin, 40, with several more witnesses expected to appear to give their statements.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutors Christopher Enteri and Nadia Mohd Izhar while lawyer Mohamad Zaiful Bahrin Kamde, representing Siti Hajar Aflah, requested the prosecution to inform on the number of witnesses to facilitate court proceedings.
Earlier, the first witness in the case, Inspector Wong Yew Zhung, who is also the investigating officer for the Zara Qairina case, told the court that the statement made by the teacher was allegedly false and interfered with the investigation of the case.
The police officer also informed the court that he lodged a police report at the Kota Kinabalu International Airport Police Station, Sabah on August 6, 2025 after seeing two video recording posts via TikTok accounts related to the death of Zara Qairina which is currently under investigation.
On August 21 last year, Siti Hajar Aflah, who was charged at the Sepang Magistrate's Court on the offence, pleaded not guilty after the charge was read out against her.
The woman was charged with making a statement likely to cause public alarm on her TikTok account "SHA_Abrienda" at 1.20 pm, August 6, 2025.
The charge against the woman was brought under Section 505(b) of the Penal Code which is punishable by a maximum imprisonment of two years or a fine or both if convicted.
The media previously reported that Zara Qairina, a Form 1 student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Limauan, Sabah, was found unconscious near the school's dormitory drain at 4 am, July 16 last year before being confirmed dead a day after being admitted to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu.
However, claims that the victim died after being put in a washing machine have gone viral on social media, causing public concern and causing emotional stress to Zara Qairina's family as well as disrupting the police investigation process.
-- BERNAMA
