Yesterday (August 18), the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) announced that they will be charging several suspects involved in the bullying incident of Form 1 student, Zara Qairina Mahathir, in Sabah.
Today, the Human Rights Commission of Malaysia (SUHAKAM) has urged the public and the media not to reveal the identities of the 5 teenagers who will be charged in connection with the case.
SUHAKAM urges everyone to protect the rights of the teens involved in Zara Qairina’s case
According to a media statement, SUHAKAM shared that children are entitled to full protection under the Children Act 2001 [Act 611], including trauma-based support, legal services and fair treatment.
“Names, photos, schools or any information that could lead to their identification cannot be disclosed to the public. Section 15 of Act 611 provides for a punishable offence for any party who publishes any information that could identify a child involved in court proceedings,” they explained.
They added that the Children’s Court is a closed court under Section 12 of Act 611, thus only those involved are allowed to attend.
Don’t bully the suspects
SUHAKAM further explained that the main focus is to avoid stigmatising the children involved and stressed that bullying, whether at school or online, is completely unacceptable.
“Social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram and TikTok are urged to update their internal policies and community standards to proactively identify and delete any content that violates Section 15 of Act 611,” they said, adding that failure to act risks further harm to the children and may amount to complicity in unlawful disclosure.
What do you think about this? Do feel free to share your thoughts in the comment section.
