Zara Qairina inquest: Mother denies being told importance of post-mortem
KOTA KINABALU: Zara Qairina Mahathir’s mother claimed that she was not given an explanation about the importance of a post-mortem examination before signing a form refusing the procedure.
On the night of July 15, 2025, Zara Qairina Mahathir was staying at her hostel when she suffered an injury, causing her to be found unconscious with heavy bleeding on her head and legs the following morning. Zara's mother, Noraidah Lamat, was informed of her daughter's condition at 4:37 am on July 16, 2025, by Ustaz Rezany, leaving her in shock and tears.
Panicked and overwhelmed, Noraidah drove alone to Queen Elizabeth Hospital (QEH) in the rain to be by her daughter's side. Upon arriving at the hospital, she met hostel warden Norasimah outside the emergency department, where Zara was already being treated. The mother described her daughter's condition as devastating, feeling as though her world had gone dark, and she had no one to accompany her.
Zara was sedated and placed on a ventilator, with her brain having suffered oxygen deprivation for over two hours, resulting in severe damage. Numerous individuals, including school personnel, police officers, and hospital staff, visited Noraidah during her daughter's treatment, but she never received a detailed explanation of the post-mortem examination process. Zara passed away at QEH on July 17, 2025, at 1:07 pm.
Written by urgent.news from New Straits Times's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
