THE inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir is the most appropriate and transparent route to uncover the truth, her family's legal team said on Thursday following the court’s decision to proceed with the hearing as scheduled.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represents Zara’s mother Noraidah Lamat, said the legal team had requested the inquest from the outset, beginning with the application for exhumation, followed by a second post-mortem, and ultimately the formal inquest.
“We’ve asked for an inquest from the very beginning. It started with the request to exhume the grave, then the post-mortem, and finally, the inquest. This is what we’ve wanted all along,” he told reporters outside the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex.
“We also argued today that the inquest should proceed and not be postponed. The court accepted our submission and rejected the defence’s application,” he added.
The case has attracted public scrutiny and speculation since Zara's death on 17 July. Shahlan emphasised that legal proceedings in open court are the best way to dispel rumours and arrive at the facts.
Noraidah, he said, was calm and resolute ahead of the proceedings, which are set to begin on 3 September. “She is in good spirits and looking forward to the start of the inquest. This is the moment she has been waiting for.”
“She’s leaving all statements to the legal team, but she is emotionally prepared for what’s ahead,” Shahlan said.
Also on Noraidah’s legal team are Rizwandean M Borhan, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, Farrah Nasser and Hamid Ismail. The court has recognised them as interested parties in the inquest.
Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, representing one of the teenagers charged in connection with the case, described the inquest as a fact-finding process and not one meant to determine guilt.
“The truth is found in court, through witness testimony and questioning. An inquest is to establish facts, not to dissect the details of the charges,” said Ram, who is representing the accused pro bono alongside Joan Goh and Elmer Prem Gunasan.
“At present, there are two separate proceedings: the inquest and the criminal charges. We hope the facts will come to light. This is not a typical criminal trial—there is no cross-examination. We are only seeking to understand what happened and why.”
The court has also granted permission for the legal teams representing the five teenagers charged in the Juvenile Court to be parties of interest in the upcoming inquest. - August 28, 2025
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