Coroner hears no witnesses to Zara Qairina Mahathir's fatal hostel fall

During a hearing at the Coroner's Court, Inspector Wong Yew Zhung confirmed that no security personnel patrolled the third floor of the hostel where Zara Qairina Mahathir lived, and no CCTV cameras covered the area. Students said they last saw her around 10 p.m. on July 15 after being summoned over a theft allegation, and later observed her distressed before she disappeared. She was discovered unconscious on the ground floor on July 16 and pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital the following day.

Her body was exhumed for a post-mortem on August 9. Five minors, identified only by pseudonyms, have been charged with uttering insulting words toward her and have pleaded not guilty. The inquest, which began on September 3, will examine whether any criminal factors contributed to her death.