THE inquest into the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir is set to continue today with the return of the inquest’s 16th witness, the eighth child to give evidence in the case.
The witness is scheduled to resume their testimony in an in-camera session before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan at the Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court, as the proceedings enter their 19th day.
Counsel Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh told reporters that the court would focus on completing the child’s testimony, which had been left unfinished in an earlier session.
“Tomorrow (today), proceedings will resume with the child witness testifying in camera. We will try to provide a summary after the session,” he said when met outside the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex on Tuesday.
He added that other witnesses may be called soon, though Wednesday’s hearing will continue with the same child witness.
To date, a total of 68 witnesses have testified in the inquiry—35 children and 33 adults.
The media has been barred from entering the courtroom for sessions involving child witnesses in accordance with court protocol.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious beneath her school’s hostel building in the early hours of 16 July. She was later pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) the following day. - October 8, 2025
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