KOTA KINABALU: An investigating officer told the inquest into Zara Qairina Mahathir's death that his investigation found no suspicious circumstances surrounding the case.
Inspector Wong Yew Zhung, testifying before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, said his investigation found no evidence that Zara had been pushed or murdered.
When questioned by lawyer Joan Goh about the possibility of an accidental death, Wong said the matter would need to be referred to an expert.
Wong confirmed to Goh that he had investigated Zara's relationships with her family members, who were among the 200 people interviewed.
Goh also asked whether his investigation had identified anyone who might have had a motive to forge Zara's handwriting in her diary and the 15 sheets of paper submitted to him, as mentioned in his testimony.
"There was no interest for anyone to do that," Wong replied.
Earlier, in response to a question from lawyer Shahlan Jufri, Wong said the cause of Zara's death had been established through a doctor's diagnosis before a post-mortem examination was conducted.
It was reported that Zara's mother had been informed by Dr Pavankumar Balachandran that the child had died from "severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy".
Wong also agreed with Shahlan that a post-mortem examination would still be necessary if the cause of death was known but the circumstances were suspicious.
Asked whether he believed there were any suspicious circumstances surrounding Zara's death, Wong said his initial assessment, based on an examination of the scene, information relating to Zara's diary and the doctor's diagnosis, found none.
He added that the final findings showed no injuries other than those caused by a fall from a height.
Zara was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school hostel on July 16, 2025, and was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Her remains were exhumed on Aug 9, 2025, before a post-mortem examination was conducted the following day at QEH's Forensic Medicine Department.
On Aug 20, 2025, five minors, identified by the pseudonyms Students A, B, C, D and E, were charged in the Court for Children with insulting Zara. All five pleaded not guilty.
The inquest began on Sept 3, 2025, to establish the cause and circumstances of Zara's death, including whether any criminal elements were involved.
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