Kota kinabalu: The Coroner's Court heard today that the mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir firmly refused a post-mortem on her daughter's body, despite multiple explanations about the procedure's importance.
According to BERNAMA News Agency, Dr. Logaraj Ratha, a medical officer at the Forensic Medicine Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital, testified that he explained the need for a medico-legal post-mortem to Noraidah Lamat, Zara Qairina's mother, multiple times. These explanations were given before, during, and after she signed a form declaring her refusal to consent to a post-mortem.
Dr. Logaraj stated that all details in the refusal form were filled in by Noraidah herself and that he was present throughout the process. During questioning by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, Dr. Logaraj confirmed explaining the importance of a post-mortem twice before the form was signed and several times afterward.
Reading from his witness statement, Dr. Logaraj informed the court that even without a police-issued post-mortem order, a clinical autopsy could be conducted with the next of kin's consent. He noted that Noraidah was accompanied by her sister-in-law, Nur Shira Abdullah, during the explanations.
Dr. Logaraj explained that without a post-mortem, the family would be unable to obtain an official forensic report on the cause of death or file any related claims in the future. Despite this, Noraidah decided against proceeding with a post-mortem on her daughter's body. Noraidah completed and signed the refusal form, identifying herself as the claimant of the body, while Nur Shira signed the witness section, and Dr. Logaraj signed as the attending doctor.
In the inquest before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, Dr. Logaraj testified that Noraidah verbally confirmed her understanding of the form's contents and the explanations provided. Following her refusal and no objections, the hospital released Zara Qairina's body to her mother according to hospital policies.
Earlier, Dr. Logaraj told the court that Insp Wong Yew Zhung, the investigating officer in Zara Qairina's case, informed him that the police would not issue the post-mortem order and that the hospital could release the body without conducting a medico-legal post-mortem.
Zara Qairina passed away on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day. She was admitted after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4 am the previous day. On Aug 8, the Attorney General's Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, later announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13.