KUALA LUMPUR – A forensic pathologist told the Coroner’s Court today that it was unlikely 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir had fallen accidentally or been pushed from a standing position beside her hostel corridor railing.
Dr Jessie Hiu, 58, who has served in the Department of Forensic Medicine at Queen Elizabeth Hospital since 1998, conducted the post-mortem on the teenager following her death in July.
She explained that the third-floor railing at the hostel measured 118cm in height, compared with Zara Qairina’s height of 154cm.
“The difference between the deceased’s height and the topmost horizontal metal rail is 36cm. The height of the metal rail is more than three-quarters of the deceased’s height and is likely above her centre of gravity.
“In my opinion, it is unlikely that the deceased accidentally fell or was pushed from a standing position next to the concrete railing along the corridor,” she said while reading her witness statement, Bernama reported.
Dr Hiu said it was possible for Zara Qairina to have climbed onto the base, crossed the metal rails and stood on top of the railing, given its design and dimensions.
The court heard that she examined the scene at Block Rabiatul Adawiyah, Asrama Qurratua’yun, SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha Limauan, Kinarut, on August 2.
The pathologist testified that the teenager’s body was in a moderate to advanced state of decomposition when examined, consistent with the time it had been buried. Despite this, tissues remained intact, except for the brain, enabling both external and internal examinations.
Her findings included a sutured laceration at the back of the head but no fractures to the skull or facial bones. The brain, she noted, had decomposed to the point where it could not be assessed.
Other injuries included bruising on the lower left forearm, wrist, hand and fifth finger, along with a fractured left distal radius and a dislocated wrist joint.
The inquest into Zara Qairina’s death, which occurred after she was found unconscious near her school dormitory in Papar on July 16, continues. — September 3, 2025