Shafie Sentenced to Five Weeks for Contempt, But Remains Assemblyman

Sabah's former Chief Minister, Datuk Seri Mohd. Shafie Apdal, has been sentenced to five weeks in prison after being found guilty of contempt of court. The ruling by Justice Amir Shah Amir Hassan came after Apdal made public statements characterizing the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir as a "murder" during an ongoing judicial inquiry.

Apdal, who is also the President of the Parti Warisan, made the controversial remarks in September of the previous year during an event in Kinabatangan. At the time, a judicial inquiry into Zara Qairina's death was underway before Justice Amir Shah. The Attorney General's Chambers had obtained court permission on October 23, 2025, to initiate contempt proceedings against Apdal.

Zara Qairina, a 13-year-old, died on July 17, 2025, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at the Tun Datu Mustapha Religious Secondary School in Papar. The judicial inquiry to determine the cause of her death is still in progress.

Despite the prison sentence, Apdal's position as the State Legislative Assemblyman (ADUN) for Senallang remains unaffected. The Speaker of the Sabah State Legislative Assembly, Datuk Seri Kadzim M. Yahya, clarified that an assemblyman would only be disqualified if sentenced to imprisonment for one year or more. He added that if the sentence is under a year, or if there is a fine below RM2,000, their status is not impacted. Furthermore, as Apdal intends to appeal the sentence, his status remains unchanged pending the outcome of the appeal.

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