THE inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir resumes for its fourth day today, with six witnesses expected to take the stand, including two doctors from Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) in Kota Kinabalu, two members of school staff, and two forensic officers.
The hospital doctors are believed to be among those who attended to the teenager upon her arrival, following her transfer by ambulance from Kinarut. This was confirmed by Datuk Ram Singh, counsel for one of the five teenage suspects connected to the case.
“I believe two doctors who treated the deceased at Queen Elizabeth Hospital will be called. That’s why I asked Dr Jessie Hiu (the first witness) whether she had received other reports. These doctors are likely next to testify,” Ram told reporters outside the Coroner’s Court on Monday.
He also indicated that the paramedic or individual who transported Zara to hospital may also be summoned this week.
“A site visit is scheduled for Thursday, and access will be limited. However, we will return to court to ask further questions afterwards,” he said.
Wednesday’s proceedings are expected to run only half a day, to allow court officials time to prepare for Thursday’s visit to the scene of Zara’s death.
“Only two lawyers will be allowed to attend the site visit. It’s a crucial part of the inquest. We’ll observe where the victim fell, and from which floor. A demonstration is expected to be held on the first floor,” Ram added.
He was uncertain whether media would be permitted to attend the site inspection but stressed the importance of transparency.
“If the judge allows it, then yes. Otherwise, I don’t know. In the interest of transparency and coverage, the media should be allowed. But whether or not that happens, we hope for God’s protection.”
He also echoed the Attorney General’s view that the proceedings should be accessible to those directly involved, including legal representatives and the press.
“I agree with the AG’s statement. All protections should extend to the media, especially in the face of irresponsible threats,” he said.
“I myself have received threats. In my case, the police are investigating and have traced the phone number. Let them continue the investigation.
“But regardless of any threats, we are here to uncover the truth. We hope this path becomes clearer and leads us to a conclusion.”
Ram appeared in court alongside his legal team, Joan Goh and Prem Elmer Ganasan, as interested parties in the proceedings.
Yesterday, the court heard from the inquest’s second witness, document examiner Nurul Atiqah Mohd Noh from the Chemistry Department of Malaysia. She presented findings on 21 documents believed to contain the handwriting of the deceased.
The documents include 15 loose sheets, four notebooks, and two school textbooks submitted by police for forensic analysis.
Nurul Atiqah revealed that one of the notebooks, marked W3, contained two distinct handwriting styles.
“The book was written alternately by the deceased and another individual, as evidenced by the differing handwriting styles across several pages,” she said. “The first page also bore two names – one being that of the deceased, Zara Qairina, and the other, an unidentified person.”
She confirmed that the remaining documents appeared consistent with the deceased’s handwriting, based on significant matches with sample specimens. These included sheets marked Y1 to Y7, Y9 to Y15, as well as Y8, and notebooks W1 and W2.
Her testimony concluded at approximately 5pm on Monday.
Despite this, a second handwriting expert is expected to be called after the legal team representing Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, appointed an independent specialist to conduct a separate review.
Lead counsel Rizwandean M Borhan confirmed that the team had formally requested the Coroner’s Court to permit their expert to examine the same set of 21 documents.
“Today, the expert from the Chemistry Department testified regarding several documents believed to be diaries, loose sheets, and even parts of school textbooks – some spanning hundreds of pages,” Rizwandean told reporters.
“The key point is that no definitive conclusion has been reached regarding authorship. These are merely specimen samples, and we cannot yet say with certainty who wrote them.”
He explained that the Chemistry Department’s expert only examined the documents but could not determine who authored the content.
“She did not conclusively attribute the writing to any specific person. She only received the documents for inspection. So I believe it’s far too early to assess the content.”
Rizwandean added that his team would coordinate with the Attorney General’s Chambers to arrange for their expert, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, to conduct the inspection next week, subject to the Chemistry Department’s availability.
“We’ve been told the Chemistry Department must also be present during the inspection, and a suitable location must be selected,” he said. “The documents were only handed over to us yesterday, with some received today.”
He further noted that the original documents had only been unsealed by the Chemistry Department during the court session earlier that day, allowing for independent analysis to proceed.
The legal team representing Noraidah Lamat includes Shahlan Jufri, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, and Farrah Nasser. - Sept 9, 2025
