THE process of exhuming Zara Qairina Mahathir's grave will be carried out this evening after an application for an exhumation order was made at noon at the Papar District Police Headquarters (IPD), Kota Kinabalu.
This was confirmed by lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri who represent Noraidah Lamat, 45, Zara Qairina's mother.
"The application for an exhumation order will be heard around 1 pm today.
"The exhumation of the grave will be carried out this evening after the order is obtained," he said in a statement.
He also hoped that the process would go well," he said.
It is understood that Zara Qairina was previously buried in the cemetery in her birthplace in Sipitang.
Yesterday, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered police to dig deeper into the death of the 13-year-old and ordered the exhumation of her body for a fresh post-mortem.
The move comes after the AGC reviewed the full preliminary investigation report submitted by the police and concluded that more work was needed to ensure “all aspects of the investigation are carried out thoroughly”.
The AGC confirmed it had returned the report to police with additional instructions, including the exhumation order, to secure new evidence and information “necessary to complete the investigation into Zara Qairina’s death,” on Friday.
Zara was found unconscious in a drain below her school dormitory in Papar on July 16 and was pronounced dead the next day at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital. - August 9, 2025
