THE inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir resumed today at the Coroner’s Court in Kota Kinabalu, with the principal of her school recalled to give testimony.
In addition to the principal, a number of other witnesses are expected to appear, including the head of the school hostel, child witnesses, and several new individuals connected to the case. Proceedings are scheduled to commence at 9 a.m. before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
To date, a total of 57 witnesses, including child witnesses, have been called to provide evidence throughout the inquest.
The proceedings were previously adjourned on 5 December to accommodate the trial of five teenagers linked to Zara Qairina’s case at the Children’s Court, which took place the following week.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious beneath a hostel building in Papar on 16 July and was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu.
Representing Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, are lawyers Shahlan Jufri, Rizwandean M Borhan, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Farrah Nasser, and Elhanan James.
The legal team representing her father, Mahathir Mohd Hashim, comprises Sherzali Herza Asli, Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip, and Clarice Vyonne Conrad.
The first child witness is represented by Datuk Ram Singh, Joan Goh, and Prem Elmer Ganasan, while the second to fourth child witnesses are represented by Azhier Farhan Arisin, Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, and Sylvester Kuan.
The inquest is being overseen by officers from the Attorney General’s Department, including the Director of Public Prosecutions for Sabah, Nahra Dollah, as well as Deputy Public Prosecutors Mohd Fairuz Johari, Dana Arabi Wazani, Sofia S Sawayan, and Dacia Jane Romanus.
The proceedings mark another step in the ongoing legal process surrounding the tragic death of Zara Qairina, with the court expected to continue hearing evidence from key witnesses in the coming days. - January 21, 2026
