Zara Qairina Inquest: Media Banned Until Testimonies of All 32 Child Witnesses Conclude

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 26 — The Coroner’s Court here has upheld its decision to bar media practitioners from covering the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir while child witnesses are testifying, a process that began on Monday.

Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan made the ruling after Sabah prosecution director Nahra Dollah informed the court that the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) would not permit media presence until all child witnesses had completed their testimony.

Amir Shah, however, said the media may obtain details of the proceedings through lawyers involved once the case concludes. This was later confirmed by Nahra and lawyers Datuk Ram Singh and Shahlan Jufri after the inquest, which entered its 14th day yesterday.

During the session, Nahra told the court that the AGC, under Attorney General Tan Sri Mohd Dusuki Mokhtar, would provide further instructions on media access as the testimonies of child witnesses continue. The court had raised the issue due to the high-profile nature of the case.

Under the Evidence of Child Witness Act 2017, it is prohibited to publish any information that could reveal a child’s identity. Since Monday, media personnel have been barred from entering the courtroom during the closed-door sessions. So far, three student witnesses have testified, with another 32 child witnesses expected to follow.

In addition, eight adult witnesses have already given evidence, with 25 more scheduled to testify in the coming sessions.

Zara Qairina, 13, was confirmed dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17, after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar at 4am on July 16.

On August 8, the AGC ordered the exhumation of her grave to enable a post-mortem examination. Following a review of the police investigation report, the AGC on August 13 directed that an inquest be held. — Bernama