Kota Kinabalu: The family of Zara Qairina Mahathir will withhold further comments until the hospital issues the official post-mortem report to avoid any conflict with the verbal findings earlier conveyed to their legal team and her mother.
In a statement Monday, family lawyers Shahlan Jufri and Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi expressed gratitude to the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) for directing police to apply for the exhumation and subsequent post-mortem on Aug 10.
They also thanked police for closely overseeing both the exhumation and examination processes.
window.googletag = window.googletag || {cmd: []};googletag.cmd.push(function() {googletag.defineSlot('/22826383987/dailyexpress_inline', [1, 1], 'gpt-passback').addService(googletag.pubads());googletag.enableServices();googletag.display('gpt-passback');});The family acknowledged the presence and support of individuals, including members of the media, who were at the cemetery and Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) 1 throughout the day.
They said this solidarity was deeply appreciated as the family navigates the next steps in the legal process.
Meanwhile, the family lawyers hailed the Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department’s (CID) takeover of Zara’s death investigation as a positive step towards justice.
The decision follows the AGC’s directive for the case to be handled by a Task Force from Bukit Aman, fulfilling one of four demands the legal team made to the AGC on Aug 5.
The four requests were for the investigation papers to be returned to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) and the case reopened, for experienced investigators from Bukit Aman to be appointed, for Zara’s grave to be exhumed for a post-mortem and for an inquest to determine whether criminal elements were involved.
The family lawyers said the latest development gives hope that the truth behind Zara’s death will be uncovered.
They believe it will help establish whether her death was the result of foul play.
“This positive development is hoped to unravel the issues surrounding Zara’s death and ultimately prove that there were criminal elements involved,” they said.