Zara inquest: Mother denies telling investigators daughter was murdered

Noraidah Lamat has denied telling investigators that her daughter, Zara Qairina Mahathir, may have been murdered, testifying under questioning at the inquest into the teenager's death. She made the statement in response to lawyer Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, who represents Students B, C, D and E in the proceedings, and spoke before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.

According to Noraidah, she is still waiting for a police report on the case and said no clear explanation had been given until the matter reached court. Asked whether the bruises she observed had made it difficult for her to accept that Zara may have taken her own life, she said she had only asked police to look into the matter.

She told the inquest she could not be certain whether the dark red marks she saw were injuries or the result of blows. Noraidah said she noticed them on July 17, 2025, while helping to bathe her daughter's body, and later lodged a report at the Sipitang district police headquarters requesting further investigation.

Fikry also raised a media statement issued through Noraidah's family lawyers on Aug 3, 2025, which he said had led the public to believe Zara had been struck by another person with a blunt object. Noraidah responded that the family had wanted a transparent investigation and its findings shared with them instead of being left without information, adding that anyone could have formed that belief and that earlier explanations would have prevented negative public perceptions.

Zara was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school hostel on July 16, 2025, and was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The inquest continues to examine the circumstances surrounding her death.