Zara's mum says they ‘panicked'
Published on: Sat, Aug 16, 2025
By: Malay Mail Text Size: Kota Kinabalu: The mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, Noraidah Lamat, reportedly said that she was in shock and panic when asked to consent to a post-mortem immediately after her daughter's death. According to a report on New Straits Times, the 45-year-old said there had been no clear explanation of the procedure at the time. 'There was no clear explanation, and we are not familiar with this kind of case. We panicked, and no advice was given about the post-mortem process,' she reportedly wrote in a Facebook comment. 'If we had known, we would not have signed the form refusing the post-mortem,' she reportedly added. Her lawyer, Hamid Ismail, reportedly confirmed that the Facebook account under the handle 'Noie AiDa' belongs to her. Yesterday, Bukit Aman said police had failed to comply with procedure by not initiating a post-mortem, though Criminal Investigation Department director Datuk M. Kumar noted that Noraidah had signed a hospital-issued waiver. Zara died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital here. She was found unconscious on July 16 after allegedly falling from the third floor of her school hostel in Papar, Sabah. * Follow us on our official WhatsApp channel and Telegram for breaking news alerts and key updates! * Do you have access to the Daily Express e-paper and online exclusive news? Check out subscription plans available.
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