Mother agrees bruising on Zara Qairina’s back caused by blood clotting, not a blow

KOTA KINABALU, October 12 — Zara Qairina Mahathir's mother, Noraidah Lamat, concurred with the medical expert's explanation at the Coroner's Court that the bruising on her daughter's back observed during a bath was not caused by a blow, but rather due to blood clotting. The mother, 46, was initially concerned a blunt object might have caused the bruising, but the doctor informed her differently on August 10.

When questioned by lawyer Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, Noraidah affirmed that the bruising was indeed a result of blood clotting. Moreover, Noraidah confirmed that none of the doctors treating Zara Qairina had informed her of any injuries caused by a blunt object, despite a media statement by the family's lawyer claiming otherwise on August 3.

The media statement came after a police report she filed at the Sipitang district police headquarters, seeking further investigation into the bruising. The statement was made because the family had yet to receive a clear explanation from investigators regarding the circumstances of Zara Qairina's death. Noraidah also told the court that she never concluded her daughter had been struck with a blunt object; she entrusted the matter to the authorities for investigation.

Zara Qairina succumbed to her injuries at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, after being found unconscious near a drain at her school dormitory early that morning. Inquest proceedings are scheduled to resume later in the day.