Aunt recounts bruises, severe head injury seen on Zara Qairina during treatment and post-mortem handling at inquest

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 — The Coroner’s Court was told today about visible injuries and bruising found on the body of Zara Qairina Mahathir during her treatment and later handling at Queen Elizabeth Hospital (HQE) on July 17 last year.

Testifying at the inquest before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, witness Nur Shira Abdullah, 46, said she observed injuries from the head down to the legs while viewing the deceased and during the funeral management process, according to a report published in Berita Harian today.

Nur Shira, who is also the aunt of Zara and sister-in-law of the victim’s mother Noraidah Lamat, said she was shown the body at the hospital and later during arrangements, where she noticed several concerning physical conditions.

She said part of the head area had been shaved, though she did not observe any large open wounds or stitched injuries.

“When I touched the left side of the head near the shaved area, I felt it was soft and there seemed to be fluid inside,” she said in her written testimony.

She also described extensive bruising on the back of the body, particularly around the rib area, forming a long linear mark stretching from the waist to the shoulder, with a dark bluish-black colour.

She added that there were also fine bruise-like markings across the back, while the left arm and leg were bandaged.

The body, she said, appeared yellowish in colour.

Nur Shira said she did not see any bone visibly protruding, but noted that the left ankle appeared dislocated.

She told the court she was informed of the incident involving Zara at about 10.20am on July 16 last year via WhatsApp from Noraidah, prompting her to immediately travel from Kuala Lumpur to Kota Kinabalu.

At the hospital, she said a female doctor explained Zara’s condition based on medical reports, including severe head trauma, significant skull damage and that the brain was no longer functioning.

The doctor also reportedly said there may have been spinal injuries, fractures to bones in the body and left ankle trauma, as well as possible severe internal bleeding leading to organ failure.

She said the doctor explained that CPR and defibrillation were not carried out due to Zara’s critical condition and extensive swelling, and would not have been beneficial at that stage.

Nur Shira further said that upon arrival at HQE on July 17, she saw Zara unconscious and in critical condition and was later informed that she was in a brain-dead state.

She said the patient was placed on ventilator support and heart monitoring machines, but the heart monitor later stopped unexpectedly at around 1pm.

Nur Shira said she informed nurses, who then checked the situation and said monitoring would continue from the front desk.

She added that doctors later attended to Zara but did not provide detailed explanations to her at that time.