KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner's Court hearing the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir saw a tense moment on Wednesday (Aug 26) when Coroner Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan suddenly stood and left his bench after twice asking, "Am I not fair enough?" during questioning of consultant psychiatrist Dr Wong Haw Huo.
The inquest was subsequently paused for about 50 minutes before resuming
The exchange took place while Wong, the 75th witness in the inquest, was being questioned by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, counsel for one of the teenagers charged in the bullying case involving Zara Qairina.
The lawyer had repeatedly asked Wong to provide direct answers to his questions, including on the cause of Zara Qairina's fall and whether the teenager was alone before the incident.
Datuk Rizwandean M. Borhan, representing Zara Qairina's mother, then remarked that Ram's questioning of Wong appeared harsh.
Ram then responded: "Sir, don't use the word harsh on me. In the past and towards the end, they (other counsels) were also very harsh, but this is very important for us. Very important."
Judge Amir Shah then said: "But this is an inquest, not a trial."
Ram responded: "I'm not saying it's a trial, Sir. I mean, let's be fair to us. Let's be fair."
Judge Amir Shah then asked: "Am I not fair? Am I not fair enough?"
Ram replied: "You are fair, Sir," prompting the coroner to repeat: "Am I not fair enough?"
Ram then said: "No, Sir. Let's not get agitated with this. He (Wong) is going round and round and explaining."
After the 50-minute pause, Ram apologised to the court, saying he had not intended his earlier remarks to be construed as questioning the fairness of the proceedings.
Ram also said the coroner's decision to leave the courtroom had come as a shock to him as counsel in the inquest, adding that he hoped such an incident would not recur. Rizwandean also tendered an apology.
Judge Amir Shah accepted the apologies from Ram and Rizwandean, but reminded counsel to remain cautious and professional in conducting themselves throughout the inquest.
He also apologised, saying it was the first time in his 21 years of service that he had walked out from the bench.
"I should also apologise to you all for bursting out, and this is the first time that I walked out from the bench, with a little pain in my chest. Let's not be emotional. Let's be professional. That is the main aim for this inquest," he said.
Moving on, Wong told the court that the last student to encounter Zara Qairina before the fall has been regarded as an important person in assessing the teenager's mental state shortly before the incident.
Wong said interviewing the student would have enabled the psychiatrists to better understand Zara Qairina's conversation, appearance, speech, behaviour and emotional condition at the time.
He said such information was important in establishing Zara Qairina's mental state, including her understanding of the possible consequences of her actions.
Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel at about 4am. – Bernama
