Zara Qairina Mahathir

KOTA KINABALU — The inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir at the Coroner’s Court here today turned emotional when a witness broke down while expressing his sadness over criticism from netizens who accused him and the school of remaining silent and protecting the student’s alleged bully or killer.

Chief Warden of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha, Papar, Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, could not hold back his tears as he addressed the allegations on the ninth day of proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

Testifying as the eighth witness, Azhari stressed that neither he nor the school had ever protected anyone, but had instead given full cooperation to the authorities by handing over all evidence and statements related to the case.

“If we had intended to protect Zara Qairina’s bully or killer, I would not have told the police officer about the alleged theft incident that occurred on the night of July 15. I informed the officer before Zara Qairina’s mother lodged her second police report.

“I personally liaised with the police. Whatever the police asked for, whoever they wanted brought to Papar, I complied, including handing over the audio recording of ‘Kak M’. I was also the one who told the police the identity of ‘Kak M’,” he said.

Azhari said that the teenager being referred to on social media as “Kak M” is not the real person in question.

He explained that the student who was wrongly linked is, in fact, a well-behaved pupil who has consistently excelled, frequently taking part in the school’s Quran memorisation competition and ranked among the top three students in last year’s Academic Session Final Examination.

“The accusations against this student are extremely cruel, simply because she was the first person to find Zara Qairina unconscious in the dormitory in the early hours of July 16. If not for her, what would have happened to Zara Qairina? She might have lost her life at the scene,” he said.

The testimony was given in response to questions from lawyer Abdul Fikry Jaafar, representing four minors accused in the Zara Qairina bullying case.

The witness also expressed sadness over the criticism directed at him, emphasising that he had done everything possible to save Zara Qairina and had fully cooperated with the authorities by handing over all available evidence.

“Is this what I deserve? Is this what the school deserves? We have nothing to hide. We have disclosed everything, and all of it is my responsibility. I don’t want Zara Qairina to be wronged. But right now, the school and I are the ones being persecuted.

“I was there… I waited until Zara Qairina was taken off the machine. I waited at the mortuary. I met and spoke with her mother at the hospital. I was there, at the funeral prayer, all the way to the cemetery. Is this what I deserve?” he asked.

Zara Qairina, 13, died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar at about 4 am.

On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) issued an order for the exhumation of Zara Qairina’s remains to enable a post-mortem to be conducted, and on Aug 13, ordered an inquest after reviewing the police investigation report. — BERNAMA

 

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KOTA KINABALU — The Coroner’s Court was told today that the mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir firmly refused a post-mortem on her daughter’s body, despite repeated explanations about the importance of the procedure.

Dr Logaraj Ratha, a medical officer undergoing off-campus training at the Forensic Medicine Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital since June last year, testified that he had explained the need for a medico-legal post-mortem to the mother, Noraidah Lamat, multiple times.

He said these explanations were provided before, during, and even after she signed the formal document titled “Surat Akuan Enggan Bedah Siasat Mayat Atas Kemahuan Sendiri” – a declaration form indicating her refusal to consent to a post-mortem.

“All the details in the form were filled in by the victim’s mother herself, and I was with her throughout the process,” said Dr Logaraj during questioning by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, who is acting as the conducting officer for the inquest.

Mohd Firdaus: How many times did you explain the importance of a post-mortem to Puan Noraidah Lamat?

Dr Logaraj: I explained it twice before she signed the form… I also gave further explanations several times during and after she signed it. I continued to explain the matter to her.

While reading from his witness statement, Dr Logaraj told the court that he had informed Noraidah that even though the police did not issue the post-mortem order via the POL 61 form, a clinical autopsy could still be conducted, provided that consent was given by the next of kin.

“Noraidah had come to the hospital accompanied by her sister-in-law, Nur Shira Abdullah. My explanation regarding the necessity and importance of a post-mortem was made in the presence of the latter.

“I also explained that without a post-mortem, the family would not be able to obtain an official forensic report on the cause of death in the future or file any related claims.

“However, Noraidah decided not to proceed with a post-mortem on Zara Qairina’s body,” he said, adding that the mother personally filled in and signed the refusal form, officially identifying herself as the claimant of the body.

Dr Logaraj said Nur Shira also completed and signed the witness section of the form before he signed it as the attending doctor in charge of the case.

In the inquest before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, the doctor further testified that Noraidah had verbally confirmed her understanding of the form’s contents and the explanations given.

Dr Logaraj said following Noraidah’s refusal and with no further objections raised, the hospital proceeded to release Zara Qairina’s body to her mother in accordance with hospital and departmental policies.

Earlier, the witness told the court that the investigating officer in Zara Qairina’s case, Insp Wong Yew Zhung, told him that the police would not be issuing the POL 61 form and that the hospital could release the body to the family without conducting a medico-legal post-mortem.

Zara Qairina breathed her last on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.

On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13. — BERNAMA

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KOTA KINABALU — A medical officer told the Coroner’s Court here today that the investigating officer in Zara Qairina Mahathir’s case did not issue the POL 61 form, which is the post-mortem order to determine the cause of death of the 13-year-old girl.

Dr Logaraj Ratha, who has been undergoing off-campus training at the Forensic Medicine Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital since June last year, revealed this when reading his witness statement before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan on the eighth day of the inquest into the teenager’s death.

“I received a release form from Inspector Wong Yew Zhung, authorising the body of the deceased to be handed over to her mother, Noraidah Lamat, without a medico-legal post mortem,” said Dr Logaraj, the inquest’s seventh witness.

Recounting the events of July 17, which was the day Zara Qairina was pronounced dead, Dr Logaraj said he was informed of a death in the hospital’s Neurosurgery Ward involving an active police investigation, and that the body was to be transferred to the mortuary.

Given the police involvement, he reported the case to the on-duty forensic pathologist, Dr Ding Chee Swan.

“I contacted Inspector Wong, and he told me he had been informed that Zara Qairina’s cause of death was Severe Traumatic Brain Injury with Hypoxic Ischemic Encephalopathy.

“Inspector Wong added that he would consult his superiors before giving further information.

“Later, he informed me that the police would not be issuing the POL 61 form and that the hospital could release the body to the family without conducting a medico-legal post-mortem,” he said, adding that the body was eventually handed over to Zara’s mother.

Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she had been admitted a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am. –BERNAMA

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BUKIT MERTAJAM — The Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) will monitor defamatory and sub judice statements on social media in relation to the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir.

Communications Minister Datuk Fahmi Fadzil said the government respects the ongoing inquest proceedings at the Coroner’s Court in Kota Kinabalu and stressed that any statements on social media must be based on facts.

“If there are statements that deviate from facts, embellish or attempt to interfere with the court process, it is a serious matter. The government respects this inquest process and action may be taken.

“From MCMC’s side, I will request that this matter be closely examined, but ultimately anything concerning sub judice is subject to the court’s decision,” he told reporters after inspecting the implementation of the Sumbangan Asas Rahmah (SARA) programme at a supermarket here today.

Also present was Communications Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mohamad Fauzi Md Isa.

Fahmi said he was aware that the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) had recently issued a statement regarding an individual who made defamatory remarks concerning the inquest proceedings.

“This individual has been served a show-cause notice before any court action is taken, including for sub judice offences,” he said.

He said if the AGC finds it necessary, the individual could be charged with contempt of court.

At the same time, Fahmi also noted the request of Zara Qairina’s mother, conveyed through her lawyer, that all ‘Justice for Zara’ solidarity gatherings be halted temporarily.

“The deceased’s mother also hopes that netizens will respect the inquest process and refrain from making statements of a sub judice nature,” he added.

Zara Qairina, 13, a Form One student of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, Papar, died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu.

She had been admitted to the hospital a day earlier, after being found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel at 4 am.

On Aug 13, the AGC ordered the inquest after reviewing the police investigation report, while on Aug 8, the AGC had issued an order to exhume Zara Qairina’s body to enable a post-mortem to be conducted. — BERNAMA

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