Zara's body exhumed for post-mortem today
SIPITANG (Aug 9): The body of Zara Qairina Mahathir was exhumed at the Kampung Mesapol Muslim cemetery in Sipitang amid a Saturday evening drizzle for a post-mortem to determine the cause of her death which sparked rallies around the state.
The post-mortem is scheduled to be carried out at Queen Elizabeth Hospital I in Kota Kinabalu at 9am on Sunday.
Around 60 family members were present at the cemetery, with some arriving as early as 3pm to witness the exhumation which was ordered by the Attorney-General's Chambers.
Some of them were said to have come from as far as Brunei, Selangor and Labuan.
Zara's mother, Noraidah Lama, father and other close family members were escorted by police and reached the location at around 4.56pm.
They were accompanied by lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri.
Family members of Zara Qairina, media and the public gather at the Kampung Mesapol Muslim cemetery in Sipitang on Saturday.-Bernama photo
Members of the public also turned up and waited outside the police perimeter, around 100 metres away from the site, to show solidarity.
Also present were State Islamic Religious Department (Jheains) officers to ensure that the remains were accorded due respect and handled in a manner consistent with Islamic principles and the dignity of the deceased.
The exhumation process commenced at around 5.30pm, as a forensics team equipped in personal rotective equipment entered the grave site.
Magistrate Wan Farrah Farizza Wan Ghazali, Noraidah and Queen Elizabeth Hospital I's forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu witnessed the exhumation which was completed at 7.15pm.
According to the deceased's relatives, around six members of the cemetery committee were involved in the exhumation.
At around 7.38pm, the vehicle ferrying Zara's immediate family left the cemetery for Queen Elizabeth Hospital I.
Zara's grandmother and grandfather.
Zara's grandmother, Asnah Yusof Abdullah, 76, and grandfather, Hashim Tuah, 82, as well as Sabah mufti, Datuk Bungsu @ Aziz Jaafar and Papar police chief, Superintendent Kamaruddin Ambo Sakka were also at the scene.
When met, Asnah and Hashim expressed hope that the case investigation will proceed smoothly and the truth uncovered.
Hasim said the last time he met his granddaughter was during her birthday celebration last year. She was a quiet and diligent child who was dedicated to reading the Quran and performing prayers.
'That meeting became my last memory with her,' he said.
Earlier, a large crowd gathered at the cemetery despite the rain, to witness the exhumation.
Those carrying umbrellas were prevented from entering the cemetery to ensure the process proceeded smoothly.
The Royal Malaysia Police forensic team arrived at the cemetery at 4.56 pm.
The Magistrate's Court on Saturday granted an application by the police to exhume the body of Zara Qairina.
The hearing took place at the Papar District Police Headquarters before magistrate Zuraini Ali Musa.
Earlier on Saturday, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said the Royal Malaysia Police will exhume the body of the Form One student as soon as possible to complete the investigation into her death.
He said this followed instructions issued by the Attorney-General's Chambers (AGC) on Friday for the exhumation 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.
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 on Friday, the Attorney General's Chambers 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 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.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
New Straits Times
3 hours ago
- New Straits Times
Family of four killed in Gua Musang crash buried in Pasir Mas
PASIR MAS: The family of four who were killed in a crash at Jalan Gua Musang-Kuala Krai, near Felda Chiku 1 in Gua Musang this morning were laid to rest in a single grave in Kampung Padang To' La here tonight. The remains of Muhammad Faiz Nor Amran, 31, his 21-year-old sister Nor Aina, and Faiz's sons Muhammad Aryan Fattah Abdul Qayyum, 5, and Muhammad Aydan Fattah, 4, were buried at the Kubang Bemban Muslim cemetery about 11.20pm. The bodies were brought to the cemetery in four vans after funeral prayers at Ar-Rahman mosque where family members and friends paid their last respects. Faiz, a car accessories seller, his wife Tuan Nor Syuhada Mohd Zain, 23, their two sons and Nor Aina were travelling home to Pasir Mas from the Klang Valley after attending a Honda car owners' gathering in Sepang yesterday. Police said the crash occurred after their vehicle skidded and collided with a trailer about 9.15am. Tuan Nor Syuhada, who was driving, was seriously injured. She is in stable condition in Gua Musang Hospital.
The Star
4 hours ago
- The Star
DPP reviewing upside-down flag investigation paper, Putrajaya to issue further instructions
KEPALA BATAS: The Penang Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) is reviewing the investigation paper over the incident where the Jalur Gemilang was displayed upside down in front of a shop here. Seberang Perai Utara district police chief ACP Anuar Abd Rahman said the investigation paper was sent to the DPP's office at 2.30pm on Monday (Aug 11) after the police completed their investigation. "The investigation paper has been referred to the DPP and was informed the investigation paper will be referred to Putrajaya for further instructions," he said in a statement on Monday (Aug 11). The 59-year-old shop owner was released on bail on Monday after the police finished recording his statement. Police opened an investigation under Section 5 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. – Bernama
New Straits Times
4 hours ago
- New Straits Times
NST Leader: Desecration of Jalur Gemilang
To fly the Jalur Gemilang upside down is an insult to the dignity of our beloved nation, but a hardware store owner in Kepala Batas, Penang, has done exactly that. And to do that just weeks before the country celebrates its National Day is like stabbing the very heart of the nation. Insult a man's dignity, he may forgive you. But insult the dignity of the nation, which the Jalur Gemilang is a symbol of, he will neither forgive you nor forget the disrespectful act. So will not the nation. The proof of this is the numerous police reports lodged around the country by loyal Malaysians and statements issued by national leaders. Disturbed as he was, National Unity Minister Datuk Aaron Ago Dagang took to X, urging the police to take firm action against the offender, stressing the need for the action to serve as a lesson to all. Flying the flag correctly is every citizen's responsibility as a sign of respect and love for the country, Bernama quoted him as saying. He is right. To fly the Jalur Gemilang incorrectly is to seek to blemish the sovereignty, dignity and unity of the nation. Such an abhorrent act mustn't be tolerated. Strongly worded condemnation was also issued by Penang PKR Youth chief Muhammad Zakwan Mustafa Kamal in a statement on Saturday. He said the act of flying the Jalur Gemilang upside down was disrespectful, irresponsible, and an insult to the dignity of the nation. He said if the act was proven to be deliberate, no compromise should be shown. We say the same, too. Zakwan also called on the hardware store owner to issue a public apology to all Malaysians. As this Leader goes to press, no such apology has been issued. The police are saying that there is a case for prosecution. The hardware shop owner, who was detained on Sunday and released on police bail later, is being investigated under Section 5 of the Emblems and Names (Prevention of Improper Use) Act 1963, Section 14 of the Minor Offences Act 1955 and Section 233 of the Communications and Multimedia Act 1998. If there is a case for prosecution, it is high time the authorities bring to bear the full brunt of the law on him to show how serious an insult to the dignity of the nation is. There have been far too many cases in the past, many of the culprits feigning ignorance. Utter incredulity must be the response. Even in the past, it wasn't the act of one who hadn't come of age. Or the act of one who suffered from some disease of the mind. Though the past acts showed clear disrespect for the dignity of the nation, we chose to adopt a softly, softly approach. The Kepala Batas incident proves to the authorities that such an approach was wrong. Nay it might have even encouraged it. If what the police investigation is saying is right, then the full brunt of the law must be brought to bear on him. Even ordinary crime demands punishment. Insulting the symbol of the dignity of a nation is no ordinary crime. As severe as it is, so must the punishment be.
