KOTA KINABALU, June 22 — The Coroner’s Court here has set Oct 23 as the final date for the inquest hearing into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir, after noting that the proceedings had already gone on for 74 days.

Coroner Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan said the court must keep track of the progress of the inquest, taking into account that July would mark the first anniversary of Zara Qairina’s death, while September would mark one year since the inquest began.

The coroner said the court would proceed with the dates already fixed until October, adding that the inquest should not be allowed to drag on.

Earlier, the court expressed disappointment after being informed that there were no witnesses available for today’s proceedings due to a misunderstanding among the parties over the witness scheduled to testify.

Counsel Shahlan Jufri, who represents Zara Qairina’s mother, informed the court that the understanding was that the proceedings today would continue with Zara Qairina’s step-sister, while the first expert witness this month would only be available tomorrow.

The court was also told that several expert witnesses may still be called, including handwriting expert Dr Linthini Gannetion, Dr Aishah Rosli, a child psychologist, Dr Simon Wong, a psychiatrist, as well as a possible pathologist.

Conducting Officer Mohd Fairus Johari, who is also a deputy public prosecutor (DPP), informed the court that the team had prepared more than 200 additional questions for the handwriting expert.

The court also heard submissions from counsel Datuk Ram Singh, who represents one of the teenagers in the Zara Qairina bullying case, that both Zara Qairina’s mother and step-sister should be called to testify in the interest of the inquest.

However, the coroner said the current direction was that there was no necessity to call the step-sister at this stage unless Zara Qairina’s mother testified, as the evidence was centred on the mother.

Shahlan argued that, should the court allow the step-sister to be called, her evidence should be heard before the testimony of Zara Qairina’s mother and father.

Mohd Fairus then informed the court that the Attorney-General had instructed for the step-sister to be called, adding that the prosecution wanted the matter placed on record in case it was raised at the appellate stage.

The coroner then directed that the step-sister’s witness statement be prepared and served to all parties this week, before the court decides in the next sitting whether she should be called, and the inquest would resume tomorrow.

Zara Qairina, 13, died on July 17, 2025, at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, where she had been admitted a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4am.

The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains exhumed for a post-mortem on Aug 8, before announcing a formal inquest into her death on Aug 13. — Bernama