Forensic analysis links 15 loose pages to Zara Qairina's journal, inquest told

KOTA KINABALU: Forensic analysis strongly suggests the 15 loose pages discovered in the inquest into Zara Qairina Mahathir's death originated from a journal labeled WK9, according to Coroner's Court testimony. Dr Dzulkiflee Ismail, a forensic science lecturer and researcher, conducted the chemical analysis establishing this connection.

This determination was based on comparing the paper's chemical composition of the loose pages (marked Y1 to Y15) and the WK9 journal. Dr Dzulkiflee examined a new, unused Love and Peace journal as a control sample, and the results showed the loose pages shared the same chemical composition as WK9, differentiating them from an unused journal of the same brand and type.

The analysis utilized Attenuated Total Reflectance-Fourier Transform Infrared (ATR-FTIR) spectroscopy, a non-destructive technique that produces a chemical fingerprint based on the paper's composition. The examination solely focused on the likely common origin of the paper, not the handwriting or the authors. The inquest, which lasted from September 3 to October 15, 2025, was conducted to investigate the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who was found unconscious at her school hostel and later pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.