'Why so late?': Syed Saddiq slams authorities' delayed response to student bullying death

KUALA LUMPUR – Muar MP Syed Saddiq Syed Abdul Rahman has slammed the authorities' delayed response in the death of 13-year-old student, the late Zara Qairina Mahathir.

The student was suspected to have died due to bullying at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Datuk Mustapha, Papar, Sabah, on July 16.

Zara Qairina was reported to have fallen from the third floor of a religious school dormitory building in Papar on July 16, before being pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital.

“Only after it went viral and there were protests did they have the courage to replace the principal, the warden and the investigating officer and to carry out a post-mortem.

"My question is, why so late? Why wait two to three weeks before taking action?” he asked during the 13th Malaysia Plan (RMK13) debate in the Dewan Rakyat.

He warned that bullying has become systemic, with wardens neglecting their duties, principals turning a blind eye to protect their school’s reputation and students normalising such behaviour as a tradition passed down from seniors.

“Imagine parents wanting to send their children to fully residential schools (SBP); of course they will worry about bullying.

"There are also dozens of other bullying cases out there that do not get wide media coverage – what will happen to those victims?” he asked.

Syed Saddiq stressed that action should not depend solely on public pressure or media attention.

“If parents can face criminal charges for neglect at home that results in injury to their child, the same standard should apply to school authorities whose negligence leads to serious injury or death.

“The responsibility carried by parents should also be placed on school administrators so that bullying is taken seriously. In short, all forms of support for bullying must stop," he added.

He also cautioned that the growing problem could deepen negative perceptions of national schools.

“That is why drastic measures are needed so that primary schools, secondary schools, and national universities remain the top choice for parents.

“Ten years ago, only the T20 group sent their children to private or international schools. Today, even the M40 group, earning only RM3,000 to RM3,500, are willing to spend a quarter of their income on such schools.

"This is happening because the negative perception gap towards national schools is getting worse," he said.