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

Noraidah Lamat refused permission for a post-mortem on her daughter, Zara Qairina Mahathir, despite being informed of its relevance to the investigation.

Investigating officer Insp Wong Yew Zhung explained the post-mortem process to Noraidah, who insisted on burying Zara immediately, resulting in no police application being issued for the procedure.

Zara Qairina died from severe traumatic brain injury at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after being found unconscious at her school hostel.

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.

The inquest resumes later this afternoon. — Bernama

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尽管被告知尸检与调查有关，诺拉伊达·拉马特仍拒绝批准对其女儿扎拉·凯里娜·马哈蒂尔进行尸检。

调查警官黄耀雄督察向诺拉伊达解释了尸检程序，但诺拉伊达坚持要立即埋葬扎拉，导致警方没有发出尸检申请。

2025 年 7 月 17 日，Zara Qairina 在伊丽莎白女王医院因严重创伤性脑损伤去世。此前一天，她在学校宿舍被发现昏迷不醒。

哥打基纳巴卢，10 月 13 日讯——验尸法庭今日获悉，扎拉·凯丽娜·马哈蒂尔的母亲诺拉伊达·拉马特不愿对女儿进行尸检，尽管已被告知相关情况，但她仍拒绝允许进行尸检。

负责调查此案的警官黄耀雄表示，他已在伊丽莎白女王医院告知并向46岁的诺拉伊达解释说，将进行尸检以协助调查扎拉·凯里娜的死因。

在对这名少女死亡的调查程序中，第 83 位证人再次向诺拉伊达解释了尸检过程，但她仍然态度坚决，回答说：“我不要。我想立即埋葬她（扎拉·凯里娜）。”

黄先生表示，一名摄影师在会议期间以及医院神经外科病房拍摄了几张照片，用于记录和存档。

“当时，由于扎拉·凯里娜的母亲拒绝进行尸检，而且死因也已经确定，因此没有签发 POL 61 表格（警方申请进行尸检的文件）。”他在验尸官阿米尔·沙阿·阿米尔·哈桑面前宣读证人证词时说道。

黄表示，在扎拉·凯里娜的遗体被移交给家属安葬之前，诺拉伊达于 2025 年 7 月 17 日签署了几份文件。

他说，其中一份文件是《自愿拒绝尸检声明信》，声明她不希望进行尸检，她不怀疑死因涉及任何犯罪行为，并且她不会出于“医疗法律”目的、保险索赔或其他索赔而向医院索取任何尸检报告。

黄先生表示，诺莱达还签署了死亡通知和遗体处理表格，以确认收到遗体，以及一份确认遗体管理服务的声明信，日期为 2025 年 7 月 17 日。

“在与扎拉的母亲见面后，我回到办公室汇报案情。我于下午6点54分到达帕帕尔警察局办公室，接到指示将扎拉的死亡定性为猝死报告，并担任此案的调查警官，”他说。

黄先生说，2025年7月17日下午1点35分，他接到一名医生的电话，医生告知他Zara Qairina于下午1点07分被宣布死亡，这名学生的死因是“严重的创伤性脑损伤伴缺氧缺血性脑病”。

他和值班摄影师一起赶往医院，下午 3 点 30 分到达医院，在 Zara Qairina 的病床旁见到了医生，Noraidah 也在那里。

Zara Qairina 于 2025 年 7 月 17 日在伊丽莎白女王医院去世，此前一天凌晨 4 点，有人在她学校宿舍附近的排水沟旁发现了昏迷不醒的她。

死因研讯将于今天下午晚些时候继续进行。——马新社

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