Zara's case: Children must be protected, not stigmatised

The Malaysian human rights commission, Suhakam, takes note of the charges to be brought against five children in the case involving the late Zara Qairina Mahathir.

We urge the public and media to act responsibly and observe the following:

The children are entitled to full protection under the Child Act 2001, including trauma-informed support, legal representation and fair treatment.

Their identities must not be revealed directly or indirectly. No names, photos, schools or any details that could lead to them being identified should be made public.

Section 15 of the act makes it a punishable offence to publish any information that could identify children involved in court proceedings. Penalties include up to RM10,000 or five years’ imprisonment or both.

The Court for Children is a closed court under Section 12 of the Child Act 2001. Only parties directly involved are permitted to attend. The privacy of the children must be respected.

Suhakam’s priority is to prevent further stigmatisation of the children involved. We remind the public that bullying, whether in schools or online, is never acceptable.

Social media platforms like Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are strongly urged to update their internal policies and community standards to proactively flag and remove any content that breaches Section 15 of the Child Act 2001.

Any content published that could identify the children is likely to amplify harm to them, whether unintentionally or maliciously.

Waiting for takedown requests may allow illegal and harmful content to spread widely, defeating the protective intent of the law.

Failure to act risks further harm to the children and may amount to complicity in unlawful disclosure.

Let justice take its course in accordance with child rights and the rule of law.

– Office of the children’s commissioner, Suhakam