Zara Qairina’s mother refused post-mortem despite being briefed, wanted immediate burial, inquest told

The mother of Zara Qairina Mahathir, Noraidah Lamat, did not want a post-mortem conducted on her daughter and refused to allow it, despite being briefed on the matter, the Coroner’s Court was told today. — Borneo Post pic

First Published: Tuesday, 13 Oct 2026 2:42 PM MYT

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 13 — The mother of Zara Qairina Mahathir, Noraidah Lamat, did not want a post-mortem conducted on her daughter and refused to allow it, despite being briefed on the matter, the Coroner’s Court was told today.

Investigating officer Insp Wong Yew Zhung said he had informed and explained to Noraidah, 46, at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital that a post-mortem would be conducted to assist investigations into Zara Qairina’s death.

The 83rd witness in the inquest proceedings into the teenager’s death explained the post-mortem process to Noraidah once again, but she remained adamant, replying: “I don’t want it. I want to bury her (Zara Qairina) immediately.”

Wong said a photographer took several photographs during the meeting and at the hospital’s Neurosurgery ward for record and documentation purposes.

“At that time, because Zara Qairina’s mother refused to allow a post-mortem to be conducted, and the cause of death had also been identified, no POL 61 form (document for a police application to conduct a post-mortem) was issued,” he said while reading his witness statement before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

Wong said Noraidah signed several documents on July 17, 2025, before Zara Qairina’s remains were handed over to the family for burial.

He said one document was a Letter of Declaration Refusing a Post-Mortem on One’s Own Volition, declaring that she did not want a post-mortem conducted, that she did not suspect any criminal act over the death, and that she would not demand any post-mortem report from the hospital for ‘medico-legal’ purposes, insurance claims, or other claims.

Wong said Noraidah also signed a Death Notification and Remains Handling Form, as acknowledgement of receipt of the remains, and a Letter of Declaration Confirming the Management of Remains Services on July 17, 2025.

“After meeting Zara’s mother, I returned to my office to update the case. I arrived at my office at IPD Papar at 6.54pm and received instructions to classify Zara’s death as a Sudden Death Report and to serve as the investigating officer in the probe,” he said.

Wong said he received a phone call from a doctor at 1.35pm on July 17, 2025, informing him that Zara Qairina had been pronounced dead at 1.07pm and that the student’s cause of death was “severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischemic encephalopathy.”

He rushed to the hospital with the duty photographer, arrived at the hospital at 3.30pm, and met a doctor beside Zara Qairina’s bed, where Noraidah was also present.

Zara Qairina died at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel at 4am.