The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has ordered a formal inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, who died last month after a fall at her school hostel in Papar, Sabah.
In a statement, the AGC confirmed the decision was made after a review of the police investigation report. The inquest will be held to “determine the cause and reason of her death, including identifying whether there were criminal elements involved.”
The AGC specified that the inquest will be conducted by a coroner’s court in an “independent and transparent manner,” in accordance with legal provisions.
Zara was found unconscious at 4 a.m. on July 16, allegedly having fallen from the third floor of her school’s hostel. She succumbed to her injuries at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital the following day. Her mother, Noraidah Lamat, filed a police report on August 3 after noticing bruises on her daughter’s back during the funeral washing ritual. Amid allegations of bullying, police exhumed Zara’s body on Saturday to perform a post-mortem examination.
