PAPAR: Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan, acting as Coroner in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir, arrived at the scene of the incident this morning to conduct a locus in quo (scene visit) at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha, Limauan.
The Coroner, accompanied by legal teams, court staff, and key witness forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu, arrived at the school compound at 9.15am, after departing from the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex at 8.45am under police escort.
Today marks the sixth day of the 17-day inquest. The on-site proceedings were scheduled to begin at 9.30am and are expected to last two to three hours, before court proceedings resume at the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex at 2pm.
Earlier, the prosecution team arrived at the school at 8.30am, while the police forensic unit arrived as early as 7.29am.
However, both the court and police had informed the media that reporters would not be allowed inside the school during the out-of-court proceeding.
Despite this, members of the press had gathered outside the school gates from as early as 7am to report on developments.
The court also clarified that regular school activities would proceed as usual outside the dormitory area.
Police personnel were stationed around the school from early morning to ensure security during the site inspection.
The locus in quo is considered a key component of the inquest, aimed at reconstructing the events before and after Zara’s death to help clarify the circumstances surrounding the tragedy.
The inquest is presided over by Sessions Court Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan, sitting as coroner.
The proceedings are led by Deputy Head of Prosecution II, Datuk Badius Zaman Ahmad, with deputy public prosecutors Nahra Dollah, Mohd Fairuz Johari, Dana Arabi Wazani, Sofia Sawayan, and Dacia Jane Romanus.
Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, is represented by a team of lawyers: Hamid Ismail, Shahlan Jufri, Rizwandean M. Borhan, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, and Farrah Nasser.
Her father, Mahathir Hashim @ Marikin, is represented by Sherzali Herza Asli, Nur Rafeeqa Afdul Mutalib, and Clarice Vyonne Conrad.
Lawyers Datuk Ram Singh, Joan Goh, Phang Fui Fong, and Prem Elmer Ganasan represent one of the teenagers allegedly involved in Zara’s bullying case, while another group of lawyers, Azhier Farhan Arisin, Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, Sylyester Kuan, and Fareez Salleh, are representing four other teenagers also linked to the case.
Observers from the Sabah Law Society (SLS) and the Education Ministry are present throughout the inquest proceedings.
The inquest began on Sept 3 and is scheduled to run over 17 days.
A total of 68 witnesses are expected to be called.
© New Straits Times Press (M) Bhd
