SEVERAL images of handwritten notes believed to have been written by the late Zara Qairina Mahathir were presented in the Kota Kinabalu Coroner's Court on Wednesday as part of proceedings in the inquest into the teenager's death.
The handwritten documents, which were said to contain personal reflections and emotional expressions, including references to the Form One student's relationship with her mother, became a key focus during the hearing.
The images were extensively examined when counsel Joan Goh questioned forensic handwriting and document examiner Dr Linthini Gannetion regarding her analysis of the writings.
During the proceedings, Goh displayed several images extracted from the forensic report and invited the expert witness to explain specific handwriting characteristics, including letter formations, numerical structures and the positioning of pen strokes on lined paper.
The court was shown various samples as part of a detailed examination into the development and consistency of handwriting traits over the period reviewed by the forensic specialist, Sinar Harian reported today.
A significant area of discussion centred on so-called "descender strokes" in lowercase letters such as "j", "g" and "y", specifically whether the strokes remained within the space between the lines or extended beyond the writing baseline.
Based on the images presented during cross-examination, Dr Linthini initially disagreed with a suggestion that the feature had not been analysed in her report.
However, she later acknowledged that the strokes generally remained within the spacing of the lined pages.
The technical review formed part of broader efforts by the court to assess the reliability, consistency and forensic significance of the handwriting samples linked to the deceased teenager.
Goh appeared alongside fellow counsel Datuk Ram Singh and Prem Elmer Ganasan, who are representing interested parties in the inquest proceedings.
The hearing continues . - June 24, 2026
