Lawyers urge public to avoid speculation as Zara Qairina inquest heads to January ruling

Lawyers involved in the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir have called for restraint from public speculation, emphasizing the importance of evidence and the legal process.

Lawyer Joan Goh, representing one accused in a related bullying case, highlighted the need for justice guided by law rather than public sentiment.

Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, representing Zara's mother, detailed the ongoing review of evidence, with submissions due by December 15 and the court's findings to be delivered on January 15.

The inquest, involving extensive testimonies and evidence, seeks to address discrepancies and improve future proceedings.

KOTA KINABALU, Oct 16 — Lawyers involved in the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir have urged the public to avoid speculation and allow the judicial process to take its course following the conclusion of witness testimonies.

Lawyer Joan Goh, who represents one of the teenagers accused in the bullying case involving the Form One student, said she hoped the evidence presented during the inquest had been addressed comprehensively.

“We hope there will be no speculation and no unwarranted accusations against anybody, as this remains a tragedy for all the children whose lives have been deeply affected by this case.

“Justice must be guided by evidence and the rule of law, rather than public sentiment or speculation,” Goh told reporters on the sidelines of the proceedings at the Coroner’s Court here today.

Goh also stressed the need to protect the rights, welfare and future of the children involved, urging all parties to respect the legal process and allow them to move forward with their lives.

“The pursuit of justice for Zara must never come at the expense of justice for others, and our thoughts remain with the family over this tragic loss,” she said.

Meanwhile, lawyer Shahlan Jufri, representing Zara Qairina’s mother, said his team had several matters to address in its written submissions, which must be filed by December 15.

He said the coroner had asked all parties to assist the court in identifying discrepancies in witness testimonies and evidence, and to provide their views on the visit conducted at the school.

“The coroner also sought feedback and recommendations from all parties on improving future inquest proceedings, including school safety and investigation procedures,” he said.

Shahlan said his team would review 350 documentary exhibits and more than 5,000 pages of proceedings notes accumulated over the 96-day inquest before filing its submissions.

“We hope the court’s eventual decision will be fair to all parties,” he said.

The Coroner’s Court today fixed January 15 next year to deliver its findings on Zara Qairina’s death.

After 96 days of proceedings, the Coroner’s Court on Wednesday concluded hearing the testimonies of 83 witnesses, including experts, children, teachers and family members.

The inquest began on September 13 last year, with Queen Elizabeth Hospital forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu called as the first witness and investigating officer Insp Wong Yew Zhung as the final witness.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) announced on August 13, 2025, that an inquest would be conducted into Zara Qairina’s death after reviewing the investigation report submitted by the police.

The decision followed the exhumation of Zara Qairina’s remains on August 9, 2025, at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim Cemetery in Kampung Mesapol, Sipitang, which was completed at 7.15pm to facilitate a post-mortem examination.

Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in the early hours of July 16. — Bernama

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参与调查扎拉·凯里娜·马哈蒂尔死亡事件的律师呼吁公众保持克制，避免猜测，并强调证据和法律程序的重要性。

律师 Joan Goh 代表一起相关欺凌案件中的一名被告，她强调需要依法伸张正义，而不是受公众情绪左右。

代表扎拉母亲的律师沙赫兰·朱弗里详细介绍了正在进行的证据审查，提交材料截止日期为 12 月 15 日，法院将于 1 月 15 日公布调查结果。

此次调查涉及大量证词和证据，旨在解决分歧并改进未来的诉讼程序。

哥打基纳巴卢，10月16日讯——参与调查扎拉·凯丽娜·马哈蒂尔死亡事件的律师们敦促公众避免猜测，在证人作证结束后，让司法程序按部就班地进行。

代表一名被控欺凌初一学生案件的青少年的律师 Joan Goh 表示，她希望在死因研讯中提出的证据能够得到全面处理。

“我们希望不会有任何猜测，也不会有人受到无端指责，因为这对所有受此案深刻影响的孩子们来说仍然是一场悲剧。”

“正义必须以证据和法治为指导，而不是以公众情绪或猜测为指导，”吴先生今天在验尸法庭的庭审间隙告诉记者。

吴女士还强调，必须保护涉事儿童的权利、福祉和未来，敦促各方尊重法律程序，让他们能够继续生活。

“为扎拉伸张正义绝不能以牺牲其他人的正义为代价，我们对这一悲剧的发生深表同情，”她说。

与此同时，代表扎拉·凯里娜母亲的律师沙赫兰·朱弗里表示，他的团队需要在书面陈述中阐述几个问题，这些陈述必须在 12 月 15 日之前提交。

他说，验尸官已要求各方协助法庭查明证人证词和证据中的矛盾之处，并就对学校进行的访问发表意见。

“验尸官还向各方征求了意见和建议，以改进未来的死因研讯程序，包括学校安全和调查程序，”他说。

沙赫兰表示，他的团队将在提交陈述之前，审查在为期 96 天的调查中积累的 350 份文件证据和 5000 多页的诉讼记录。

他说：“我们希望法院最终的判决能够对各方都公平。”

验尸法庭今天将公布扎拉·凯里娜死亡案的调查结果的日期定为明年1月15日。

经过 96 天的审理，验尸官法庭于周三结束了对 83 名证人的证词听取，其中包括专家、儿童、教师和家庭成员。

死因研讯于去年 9 月 13 日开始，伊丽莎白女王医院法医病理学家萧洁西医生作为第一位证人出庭，调查人员黄耀忠督察作为最后一位证人出庭。

2025年8月13日，总检察署宣布，在审查了警方提交的调查报告后，将对扎拉·凯里娜的死因进行调查。

此前，Zara Qairina 的遗体于 2025 年 8 月 9 日在西必丹甘榜美沙保丹绒乌比穆斯林公墓被掘出，掘出工作于晚上 7 点 15 分完成，以便进行尸检。

扎拉·凯琳娜于2025年7月17日在伊丽莎白女王医院去世。此前一天，即7月16日凌晨，有人发现她昏迷在学校宿舍附近的排水沟旁。——马新社

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