KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court was told today that the mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir firmly refused a post-mortem on her daughter’s body, despite repeated explanations about the importance of the procedure.
Dr Logaraj Ratha, a medical officer undergoing off-campus training at the Forensic Medicine Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital since June last year, testified that he had explained the need for a medico-legal post-mortem to the mother, Noraidah Lamat, multiple times.
He said these explanations were provided before, during, and even after she signed the formal document titled “Surat Akuan Enggan Bedah Siasat Mayat Atas Kemahuan Sendiri” - a declaration form indicating her refusal to consent to a post-mortem.
“All the details in the form were filled in by the victim’s mother herself, and I was with her throughout the process,” said Dr Logaraj during questioning by deputy public prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, who is acting as the conducting officer for the inquest.
Mohd Firdaus: How many times did you explain the importance of a post-mortem to Puan Noraidah Lamat?
Dr Logaraj: I explained it twice before she signed the form... I also gave further explanations several times during and after she signed it. I continued to explain the matter to her.
While reading from his witness statement, Dr Logaraj told the court that he had informed Noraidah that even though the police did not issue the post-mortem order via the POL 61 form, a clinical autopsy could still be conducted, provided that consent was given by the next of kin.
“Noraidah had come to the hospital accompanied by her sister-in-law, Nur Shira Abdullah. My explanation regarding the necessity and importance of a post-mortem was made in the presence of the latter.
“I also explained that without a post-mortem, the family would not be able to obtain an official forensic report on the cause of death in the future or file any related claims.
“However, Noraidah decided not to proceed with a post-mortem on Zara Qairina’s body,” he said, adding that the mother personally filled in and signed the refusal form, officially identifying herself as the claimant of the body.
Dr Logaraj said Nur Shira also completed and signed the witness section of the form before he signed it as the attending doctor in charge of the case.
In the inquest before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, the doctor further testified that Noraidah had verbally confirmed her understanding of the form’s contents and the explanations given.
Dr Logaraj said following Noraidah’s refusal and with no further objections raised, the hospital proceeded to release Zara Qairina’s body to her mother in accordance with hospital and departmental policies.
Earlier, the witness told the court that the investigating officer in Zara Qairina’s case, Insp Wong Yew Zhung, told him that the police would not be issuing the POL 61 form and that the hospital could release the body to the family without conducting a medico-legal post-mortem.
Zara Qairina breathed her last on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.
On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13. - Bernama
