PUTRAJAYA, Aug 13 — The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) has decided to conduct an inquest to determine the cause and circumstances surrounding the death of Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir.
It said the decision was made after reviewing the investigation report submitted by the Royal Malaysia Police in connection with the death of the SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha student.
The inquest proceedings aim to establish the cause of death and determine whether there were any criminal elements involved.
“This process will be conducted at the Coroner’s Court independently and transparently under the provisions of the law,” the AGC said in a statement today.
The decision to proceed with an inquest was in line with subsection 339(1) of the Criminal Procedure Code.
On Friday (August 8), the AGC said that Zara’s remains needed to be exhumed to allow for a post-mortem to be carried out. Further investigation by the police was necessary to ensure a thorough probe.
Following this, the remains of the 13-year-old, who was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim Cemetery in Kampung Mesapol in Sipitang, Sabah, were exhumed on Saturday (August 9) and taken to the Queen Elizabeth I Hospital for the post-mortem before being reburied early Monday (August 11) at the same cemetery.
Earlier on July 17, Zara was pronounced dead at the same hospital in Kota Kinabalu.
She was taken there after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar at 4am on July 16.
