KOTA KINABALU, Sept 4 — A document examiner from the Chemistry Department is set to be the second expert witness to testify in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, with proceedings scheduled to resume on Monday.
The Coroner’s Court was informed today that the examiner had analysed some 20 pages from four of Zara’s personal diaries and will present their findings to the court.
The announcement came after the first expert witness, forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu, concluded her two-day testimony before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Dr Hiu, who conducted the autopsy on Zara on August 10, testified yesterday and today.
The inquest into Zara’s cause of death is expected to hear from a total of 68 witnesses, including 35 minors, police officers, teachers, and other experts.
Zara, a Form One student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school dormitory on July 16 and died a day later.
The inquest is currently scheduled to be held on multiple dates throughout September, although it may be extended due to the long witness list.
