Home minister: Police to exhume Zara Qairina's body for post-mortem after AGC directive
Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said this followed instructions issued by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) yesterday for the exhumation of the girl's body to allow a post-mortem procedure to be carried out.
'The police will implement the decision. I was briefed by the Inspector-General of Police (Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail) this morning that the police will immediately carry out the procedure.
'Of course, the focus by the police is to update the investigation, collect all evidence and in carrying out this task, the police will not compromise on the principle of justice because we need to be fair to everyone involved, including the family of the late Zara and the school,' he said here today.
He was met by reporters after the opening of the 'Ijtimak Madani Ulama dan Guru Pondok Kelantan 2025' by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim at Universiti Teknologi Mara (UiTM) Machang campus here.
Saifuddin Nasution assured that the police will keep the public informed with the latest updates on the case from time to time.
In a statement yesterday, the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) announced that the body of Zara Qairina would be exhumed to allow a post-mortem examination to be conducted.
The AGC stated that further investigations by the police were necessary to ensure all aspects of the case were thoroughly examined.
Zara Qairina, 13, was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, Sabah, on July 17.
She had been rushed to the hospital after being found unconscious in a drain near the dormitory of a religious school in Papar at about 4 am on July 16. — Bernama
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Malay Mail
16 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Fire rips through row of shops in Kuala Nerus, wipes out traditional medicine trader's lifelong business
KUALA NERUS, Aug 10 — A trader in Batu Enam here suffered losses of over RM200,000 when the traditional medicine and homoeopathy shop he had operated for 31 years was destroyed in a fire last night. Lukman Mamad, 67, said the blaze destroyed all the medicines and treatment equipment in his rented premises. 'Yesterday, I closed the shop at about 6 pm and went home to Losong in Kuala Terengganu. At 11 pm, while attending a meeting with friends, my son called to inform me that the shop was on fire. 'I rushed to Batu Enam and saw the flames raging. There were also loud explosions because the premises next to my shop were a self-service laundromat with many gas cylinders,' he told reporters at the scene. Lukman said the laundromat operator, who owns the shop building, lives in Kuala Lumpur. Lukman Mamad, 67, said the midnight blaze in Batu Enam, Kuala Nerus in Terengganu on August 9, 2025 destroyed all the medicines and treatment equipment in his rented premises. — Bernama pic Meanwhile, Kuala Nerus Fire and Rescue Station chief Azmi Omar said the station received an emergency call about the incident at 11.37 pm yesterday. He said 28 officers and personnel from the Kuala Nerus, Kuala Terengganu and Jalan Kota fire and rescue stations, as well as the Sri Nerus Volunteer Fire Station, were immediately dispatched to the scene. 'The fire involved three rows of semi-permanent shop lots. A food shop was 50 per cent destroyed, while a self-service laundromat and a traditional medicine store were 70 per cent destroyed. 'The incident also affected a house located behind the shop building, which suffered 50 per cent damage. As the shop and house structures were semi-permanent with old wooden upper floors, the fire spread rapidly,' he said. Azmi added that the blaze was brought under control within 45 minutes, and the cause of the fire, along with the total losses, are still under investigation. — Bernama
Malay Mail
16 minutes ago
- Malay Mail
Caught red-handed: China national nabbed for business class theft on Dubai-Singapore flight
SINGAPORE, Aug 10 — A Chinese national will be charged in Singapore today with allegedly stealing from a passenger on a flight from Dubai. The police said yesterday that they were alerted to the suspected theft at 5.30am on Aug 8 while the aircraft was in the air, The Straits Times reported. The incident reportedly took place in the business class section of the flight. Preliminary investigations showed that the victim was asleep when his wife saw the 25-year-old suspect taking the victim's bag from an overhead compartment. The woman confronted the suspect, who then returned the bag to the compartment. She alerted her husband to the suspected theft soon after. The police did not say which airline was involved, but only Emirates and Singapore Airlines operate flights between Dubai International Airport and Changi Airport. Police said the suspect failed to give a satisfactory explanation after landing and was arrested before boarding his next flight, and he faces up to three years' jail, a fine, or both if convicted.
Malay Mail
an hour ago
- Malay Mail
CT scan conducted on Zara Qairina's body after exhumation, lawyer says
KOTA KINABALU – A computed tomography (CT) scan was performed last night on the body of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir following the exhumation of her grave earlier in the day. Lawyer Hamid Ismail, representing Noraidah Lamat, 45, Zara Qairina's mother, told Astro Awani that once the body was brought to Queen Elizabeth Hospital I (HQEI), the next procedures were carried out ahead of an autopsy scheduled for this morning. 'They will conduct the CT scan tonight, and the autopsy will be carried out at 9am tomorrow morning. It depends on the forensic experts when the autopsy results will be available. On the challenges faced during the exhumation, Hamid said despite heavy rain, the process went smoothly. 'It was raining heavily, but before digging started, the rain had eased to a drizzle and conditions became very good. There were no issues, everything went smoothly,' he was quoted as saying late last night. Regarding hopes for the autopsy report, Hamid expressed confidence that the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) would perform their duties well. 'We are confident in the police and the AGC. However, this case started with shortcomings at the early stage — no autopsy was conducted initially and clothes were not collected. 'That was the mistake. But I see the police are cooperating well with us and I am confident justice will be served for Zara,' he said.
