THE Coroner's Court is expected to hear the testimony of a chemist as the second witness in the inquest into the death of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, which is scheduled to continue today.
It is understood that the witness from the Chemistry Department was called to give evidence on the authenticity of the diary allegedly belonging to the late Zara Qairina, which was previously handed over to the police.
The lawyer representing the late mother, Mohd Sharulnizam Mohd Salleh, when met by the media last Thursday, said that the presence of the witness was expected after the Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) Pathologist, Dr Jessie Hiu, finished giving her statement.
Apart from the lawyer representing Zara Qairina's mother, the lawyer for one of the five child accused facing bullying charges in the Children's Court, Datuk Ram Singh, had previously also mentioned the document.
He also admitted that, based on his experience, the diary had been used in other criminal proceedings before and it may provide some clues about Zara Qairina's death.
Previously, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail, when giving a briefing on the progress of the investigation into Zara Qairina's death in the Dewan Rakyat on August 18, mentioned the discovery of the Form One student's diary.
During the briefing session, Saifuddin, among other things, mentioned that the 51-page diary was handed over by a teacher to the police.
Meanwhile, the inquest proceedings throughout this week are also expected to see several more medical officers called as witnesses before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Previously, a statement from the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said that a total of 68 witnesses would be called throughout the inquest which will take 17 days from September 3 to September 30.
Witnesses include various parties, from pathologists, chemists, police, teachers and school students, as well as other relevant parties, including the late Zara Qairina's parents.
This Thursday, the Coroner's Court will also go to the location where the late Zara Qairina was found unconscious earlier to take a closer look at the situation at the scene. - September 8, 2025
