The inquest into Zara Qairina’s death is adjourned as the coroner cautions against public commentary that could prejudice the proceedings
KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court has adjourned the inquest into the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan cautioned the public against commenting on the 52-day-long proceedings at the session’s conclusion.
He stated the inquest will resume on January 21 next year to accommodate a related criminal trial involving five minors accused of bullying Zara Qairina.
“I therefore wish to remind the public not to make any comments or statements regarding the case,” he said.
Amir Shah emphasised that public commentary risks prejudicing the integrity of the proceedings and undermining justice.
He advised anyone with new evidence to approach the conducting officer through the proper channel.
Earlier, the court heard testimony from the 57th witness, Asni Marjan, the former senior assistant of student affairs at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha.
Asni testified he had no knowledge of text messages allegedly sent by the mother of a student to the school’s chief warden on the night of the incident.
The messages, produced in court by counsel Joan Goh, reportedly concerned a dormitory issue on July 15.
Asni stated the chief warden neither showed him the messages nor informed him of their existence at the relevant time.
Zara Qairina, 13, died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being found unconscious at her school hostel in Papar.
The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains exhumed for a post-mortem on August 8 before announcing a formal inquest into her death on August 13. – Bernama
