PETALING JAYA: There was nothing suspicious about Zara Qairina Mahathir's death despite the lack of witnesses to her falling from a height, the police officer who investigated the Form 1 student's demise said.
Wong Yew Zhung, an inspector and the 83rd witness in the inquest, said this was based on his investigation at the scene, and doctors finding no injuries on Zara other than those caused by a fall from a height.
“At the end of my investigation, there were no suspicious circumstances,” he told the Kota Kinabalu coroner's court, Sinar Harian reported.
However, Wong said the mother's initial refusal to allow an autopsy meant the cause of death could not be determined conclusively until later on.
The final results from the forensic specialist showed the same cause of death, he said.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, acting for Zara's mother, had submitted that it was suspicious that no one saw the student fall before her body was discovered.
Shahlan also brought up several events before the incident, including a statement from a student known as Student A claiming Zara had cried after meeting a Form 4 student at the dormitory.
Wong said Student A mentioned that Zara had spoken about wanting to end her life several times because of school and family issues.
Zara died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school dormitory in Papar in the early morning.
Her remains were exhumed on Aug 9, and a post-mortem examination was conducted at the hospital's forensic medicine department on Aug 10.
On Aug 20, five minors, given the pseudonyms Students A, B, C, D and E, were charged in the Kota Kinabalu children's court with verbally abusing Zara.
The inquest continues.