Zara's mother urges AG to order inquest into daughter's death

Borneo Post

a day ago

Hamid (middle) handing over Zara Qairina's clothes to the police at his office on Tuesday.
KOTA KINABALU (Aug 5): The mother of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir, who died after allegedly falling from the third floor of her religious school hostel in Papar, is urging the Attorney General to initiate an inquest into her daughter's death.
Through her lawyers, Noraidah Lamat called on the Attorney General to invoke Section 339(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code and direct a magistrate to hold the inquest.
Lawyers Hamid Ismail and Shahlan Jufri said an inquest was necessary to establish the cause of Zara Qairina's death and determine if any criminal elements were involved.
They also requested that the Attorney General return the investigation papers to allow a reopening of the case, citing alleged shortcomings in the completed investigation.
'The investigation should be handled by experienced officers from Bukit Aman,' they said in a joint statement on Tuesday.
The lawyers also urged that Zara Qairina's body be exhumed to allow a post-mortem to determine the actual cause of death.
They revealed they had received the 'full preliminary investigation' report from the police, which was submitted to the Attorney General on Monday, but claimed the report contained serious weaknesses.
They pointed out that no autopsy was conducted before burial and that Zara Qairina's clothing from July 16 was not immediately collected for forensic analysis.
According to them, the police only contacted the family on Tuesday to retrieve the clothes Zara wore when she was found. Zara's clothes and personal belongings were handed over at Hamid's office at 2pm.
They added that the police only recorded Noraidah's statement regarding bruises on Zara's back on August 3–4 at the Sipitang police station.
'We believe the investigation lacks sufficient material. Without an autopsy report and with key evidence like Zara Qairina's clothing and personal items still unexamined, the investigation cannot be thorough,' they said.
The lawyers also expressed concern over social media claims suggesting Zara Qairina's death was linked to emotional stress caused by her mother.
They cited a purported diary entry that was circulated online and labelled as 'material evidence,' raising suspicions of a leak from the investigation file.
'If this paper was indeed retrieved from Zara Qairina's dormitory locker, it indicates that sensitive materials may have been leaked, compromising the integrity of the investigation and fuelling a malicious narrative,' they said.
They stressed that Zara's mother seeks only justice and is fully cooperating with authorities. They also urged the public to refrain from speculation that could harm the reputations of those involved.
Noraidah's legal team also thanked all individuals and parties who have spread this case in order to achieve justice for Zara such as making solidarity through peaceful gatherings by students and signatures collection, making songs and poems and sharing statuses and news on all social media platforms.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious in the early hours of July 16 near a drain below her hostel. She passed away the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. Her mother has since raised concerns that Zara may have been a victim of bullying.
The Attorney General's Chambers (AGC) said in a statement on Monday that it is reviewing the full preliminary investigation report submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police.
It said that the review process involves a thorough examination of the legal and factual aspects to ensure that any decision is made in accordance with the law and upholds the principles of justice.
The AGC added that a decision on the case would be announced upon completion of the review of the preliminary investigation report.