Forensic pathologist lodges police report over online threats linked to Zara Qairina case

KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 — Forensic pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu has lodged a police report over alleged online threats she received following her recent testimony in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir.

Kota Kinabalu OCPD Assistant Commissioner Kasim Muda confirmed to New Straits Times (NST) that the report was filed yesterday afternoon after Dr Hiu was informed of the threats by the director of Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

“We received the report from her yesterday afternoon. 

“Investigation papers have been opened,” ACP Kasim reportedly said today, adding that police will work closely with the Malaysian Communications and Multimedia Commission (MCMC) on the matter.

Dr Hiu, who has served in the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Forensic Medicine Department since 1998, provided key testimony over two days in the inquest. 

Zara Qairina, a Form One student at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school dormitory on July 16. She died a day later at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu.

On August 13, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered the inquest to proceed after reviewing the investigation report submitted by the police.

Meanwhile, on August 20, five teenage girls were charged at the Children’s Court in Kota Kinabalu with using abusive words against Zara Qairina. 

In her testimony, Dr Hiu told the court that it was unlikely that Zara Qairina’s fall was accidental or that she had been pushed. 

She also stated that it would have been impossible to place the teenager inside a washing machine due to her weight.

However, Dr Hiu left it to the court to decide whether the student had jumped of her own accord.

Lawyer Hamid Ismail, representing Zara’s mother Noraidah Lamat, urged the public to respect Dr Hiu. 

“Be respectful to Dr Jessie Hiu. Insulting and belittling her expertise will not benefit anyone. We will continue examining her next week,” he wrote on Facebook.

According to NST, Dr Hiu, 58, holds a medical degree from Universiti Sains Malaysia and a master’s in pathology from Universiti Malaya. 

She is a member of the Malaysian Medical Association, the Malaysian Society of Forensic Medicine and Science, and the Indo-Pacific Association of Law, Medicine and Science. 

She conducts or supervises 100 to 150 autopsies annually and provides expert testimony 10 to 15 times a year at courts across Sabah and Labuan.