Zara Qairina Inquest: Coroner walks out as crucial psychiatric evidence takes centre stage

The inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir was briefly halted on Friday after the coroner, Amir Shah Amir Hassan, abruptly left the courtroom due to a heated exchange with one of the lawyers involved. The proceedings resumed approximately 50 minutes later. The contentious moment occurred during the questioning of Dr Wong Haw Huo, the 75th witness in the inquest, by lawyer Ram Singh, representing one of the teenagers accused of bullying Zara.

Ram persistently demanded direct answers from Dr Wong, questioning him about the cause of Zara's fall and whether she was alone before the incident.

Rizwandean M Borhan, representing Zara's mother, remarked that Ram's questioning seemed particularly harsh. Ram responded that previous counsel had also been harsh and emphasized the importance of this matter to them. The coroner then responded by questioning Ram's fairness, to which Ram replied he was indeed fair. The exchange escalated further, with both parties becoming increasingly agitated.

Amir Shah, the coroner, repeated his question about his fairness, to which Ram reaffirmed his fairness and advised them to avoid becoming emotional.

After the 50-minute recess, Ram and Rizwandean apologized for their behavior, acknowledging their remarks may have been perceived as questioning the fairness of the proceedings. Ram specifically expressed surprise at the coroner's decision to leave, stating it was the first such incident in his 21-year career. Amir Shah accepted their apologies but stressed the importance of maintaining professionalism throughout the inquest.

He also apologized for leaving the bench himself, attributing it to a minor pain in his chest. He emphasized that the primary objective of the inquest was to remain professional, not to get emotional.