Five minors are being charged under Section 507C(1) of the Penal Code in relation to the bullying of Form One student Zara Qairina, whose death has prompted a national reckoning. But her family’s lawyer argues the new anti-bullying provisions carry heavier penalties and should apply. We unpack what these charges mean, what evidence is needed to escalate them, and whether the inquest could shift the legal framing.

Other stories we covered:

• The CMA’s ‘Annoy’ and ‘Offensive’ Clause struck down: The Court of Appeal has ruled that the words “annoy” and “offensive” in Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act are unconstitutional. This follows an appeal from activist Heidy Qyah who challenged the validity of the words in 2021, after being charged over a Facebook post on refugee mistreatment. We reached out to Heidy, lawyer New Sin Yew, and also Amnesty International Malaysia’s Interim Executive Director Vilasini Vijandran for their thoughts on this ruling.

• Black Hawk deal down: The RM187 million plan to procure four Black Hawk helicopters has been cancelled following a royal decree citing safety and transparency concerns. We talk to Lam Choong Wah, Deputy Head of Universiti Malaya’s Department of International and Strategic Studies for more on this.

• Formula 1 racing back to Malaysia?: This idea is gaining traction, but with hosting rights now priced at RM295 million and regional competition heating up, Sepang International Circuit faces major hurdles. We speak to Jazeman Jaafar, Malaysian Racing Driver and Board Member of the Malaysian Motorsports Association about this possible return and whether Thailand now poses a competition to Malaysia.

• Michelin-star omelette breaks the bank: In Bangkok, a renowned crab omelette recently caused controversy at the Michelin-starred Raan Jay Fai restaurant, after a Thai influencer claimed she was charged 4,000 baht (about RM520), while the menu listed the price at 1,500 baht. We get into the dispute, the investigation now underway by Thailand’s Department of Internal Trade, and more.

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