Kota Kinabalu: NORAIDAH Lamat denied claiming that her daughter, Zara Qairina Mahathir, might have been murdered, saying she was still awaiting the outcome of a police investigation, the Coroner’s Court heard on Monday.
Noraidah, who continued her testimony as the 82nd witness in the inquest, said she had yet to receive a clear explanation of what had happened to her daughter, prompting the matter to be brought before the court.
She was responding to questions from counsel Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, who asked whether she believed her daughter might have been murdered.
Abdul Fikry suggested that Noraidah’s belief that Zara might have been murdered stemmed from her observation of bruises on the back of her daughter’s body.
“I never said that. I am still waiting for the police report to this day. There was no clear explanation until this case was brought to court,” she said.
Asked whether the bruises were among the reasons she could not accept the possibility that Zara had taken her own life, Noraidah replied that she had only asked the police to investigate the matter.
Noraidah said she was unsure whether the dark red marks she noticed while helping to bathe Zara’s body on July 17, 2025, were injuries or marks caused by blows.
She subsequently lodged a police report at the Sipitang District Police Headquarters, requesting further investigation into the marks.
Abdul Fikry then referred to a media statement issued by Noraidah’s family legal team on Aug 3, 2025, which suggested that the bruises had been caused by Zara being struck with a blunt object.
Asked to explain the statement, Noraidah said the family wanted investigators to conduct a transparent investigation and disclose their findings.
“That is why we asked the investigators to conduct a transparent investigation and inform us of their findings, rather than leaving us wondering without any information,” she said.
Abdul Fikry further suggested that the reference to Zara being “hit with a blunt object” could lead members of the public to believe she had been subjected to physical violence.
“Anyone could believe that. But if the investigating officers had provided an explanation earlier, I am sure the matter would have been clarified, and the public would not have had to form various negative perceptions,” Noraidah said.
When it was suggested that the media statement also gave the impression that Zara’s death might have been caused by another person, Noraidah reiterated that her family was still awaiting the outcome of the police investigation.
She confirmed that the statement had called for the investigation into Zara’s death to be reopened because the family had not received a clear explanation from the investigating officer.
Noraidah said that, as Zara’s next of kin, she had yet to receive clear information from the officer concerned regarding the circumstances surrounding her daughter’s death.
