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THE legal team representing Noraidah Lamat, mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, has stated it will not issue any comment on autopsy findings until the official post-mortem report is released by the hospital.
In a joint statement, solicitors Shahlan Jufri (pic) and Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi said: “To avoid any contradiction between the verbal autopsy findings conveyed to us and Zara Qairina’s mother following the post-mortem on Sunday, and the official report yet to be issued by the hospital, we are withholding any public comment on the matter.”
The lawyers confirmed that injuries were observed on Zara Qairina’s body during the examination, as previously mentioned at a press conference.
They also expressed gratitude to the Attorney General’s Chambers for instructing police to obtain a court order for exhumation, and to the Royal Malaysia Police (PDRM) for maintaining a secure environment throughout the procedure.
“We also wish to extend our heartfelt thanks to all individuals, including media personnel, who were present at the cemetery and around Queen Elizabeth Hospital I (HQEI) from morning until late into the night to witness the exhumation, reburial and post-mortem. Your support is deeply appreciated,” the statement read.
The post-mortem was conducted at the Forensic Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on Monday and proceeded without incident. Lawyer Shahlan Jufri observed the entire procedure, which lasted eight hours from 11am to 7.30pm. Zara’s body was reburied later that night, with the process concluding around 1am.
Zara Qairina, 13, was found unconscious at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Mustapha in Papar on 16 July and was pronounced dead the next day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
In a separate development, the family of a student whose photograph has gone viral on social media — wrongly linking her to Zara’s death — has publicly denied any connection to the case.
In a statement believed to have been posted by the student’s father on Facebook, he explained that his daughter had withdrawn from SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha earlier this year after securing a place at a vocational college.
“My daughter only attended the school for three years, from 2022 to 2024, and was no longer a student there when the incident involving Zara Qairina occurred,” he wrote.
The post included a police report and a school-leaving certificate. A formal complaint was filed last Friday at Lahad Datu police station, citing safety concerns and misinformation spread online.
“For the record, a police report has been filed against a TikTok account for uploading a video featuring my daughter.
“Although they have since apologised and removed the video, several individuals continue to spread this false information,” he added, warning that civil action may be taken against those continuing to link his daughter to the case.
Meanwhile, the Royal Malaysia Police has deployed a special task force from Bukit Aman to take over the investigation into Zara Qairina’s death.
According to a statement from the Office of the Inspector-General of Police (Corporate Communications), nine officers and personnel from the Criminal Investigation Department have been dispatched to Sabah.
“The deployment of this task force reflects PDRM’s commitment to conducting a thorough and transparent investigation.
“PDRM treats all cases involving the loss of life with utmost seriousness,” the statement said.
The public has been urged to avoid speculation and allow the authorities to carry out their investigation professionally. - August 12, 2025
