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PROMINENT lawyer Datuk Ram Singh has visited the grave of Zara Qairina Mahathir in Tanjung Ubi, Sipitang, seeking “clues and truth” amid what he described as lingering uncertainties surrounding the schoolgirl’s death in July.
Zara, 17, was found unconscious beneath her school hostel building on 16 July. The incident triggered a formal inquest, with speculation online linking the tragedy to the discovery of a diary and suggestions that she may have jumped.
“I went there because I feel there is something missing — something we don’t yet know,” Ram said after the visit.
“Before I speak to others, I wanted to ask for her permission, spiritually, to seek the truth,” he added.
His visit came days after a locus in quo inspection at the school hostel on 11 September, where forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu testified that Zara’s injuries were consistent with a fall from height, suggesting the possibility of a jump.
However, Ram said many questions remain unanswered.
“Why did she jump? Everyone avoids that question. Even Dr Jessie said it is up to the Coroner’s Court to determine whether it was suicide,” he said.
Ram, who is representing one of five students facing charges of bullying in the Juvenile Court, believes legal analysis and practical experience suggest a motive must exist behind such an act.
“People are still questioning whether the diary was really written by Zara, even though a handwriting expert has testified,” he noted.
He also questioned why Zara was found unconscious near a drain in the early hours of the morning, adding that this detail continues to trouble the public and fuel speculation online.
Ram further suggested that some degree of negligence may be involved.
“In my view, there was negligence — whether by the school or another party — there’s something there. That’s why I went to her grave. I wanted a sign, a sense of what really happened,” he said.
Ram and his legal team travelled from Kota Kinabalu to Sipitang yesterday, braving heavy rain and flooding in Beaufort before arriving at the cemetery.
To date, six witnesses have testified in the inquest proceedings at the Coroner’s Court, including a forensic pathologist from Queen Elizabeth Hospital, a handwriting specialist from the Chemistry Department, an emergency department doctor, police officers, and the hostel’s security guard.
Ram maintains that the full truth has yet to come to light and that the inquest must proceed with complete transparency, particularly as public interest and concern over the case continues to grow. - September 16, 2025
