Warisan president Datuk Seri Mohd Shafie Apdal said his remarks on the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir were motivated solely by a desire to see justice served, hours after he was sentenced to five weeks’ jail for contempt of court.
In a statement, Shafie said the case had never been about him but about a young girl whose death had deeply affected Malaysians.
“From the very beginning, I only wanted the truth and justice to prevail, while ensuring the public continued to have confidence in the country’s institutions,” he said.
The former Sabah chief minister added that speaking up for justice was a responsibility entrusted to him by the people.
“I will continue to carry out this responsibility,” he said.
Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17 last year, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel in Papar.
An inquest into her death is currently ongoing.
