Hamid Ismail, lawyer in high-profile Zara Qairina inquest, appointed Judicial Commissioner

KOTA KINABALU, Sept 30 — Hamid Ismail, a lawyer who represented the family of late student Zara Qairina Mahathir in the high-profile inquest into her death, has been appointed as a Judicial Commissioner along with two others.

The 49-year-old has practised law for 24 years since 2004, handling corruption, criminal and civil cases. He also represented former Sabah chief minister Datuk Seri Shafie Apdal during his 2017 remand by the Malaysian Anti-Corruption Commission.

Hamid also acted for PAS president Datuk Seri Abdul Hadi Awang in a defamation suit filed by lawyer Marcel Jude, and was lead counsel for Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainuddin in a case brought against him as Parti Pribumi Bersatu Malaysia’s secretary-general by Datuk Dr Suhaili Abdul Rahman in late 2023.

He is a former PAS deputy commissioner for Sabah and contested the Tanjung Aru state seat in the 2013 and 2018 elections.

Until August this year, Hamid was lead counsel for Zara Qairina’s legal team. His team applied for Bukit Aman to reopen investigation papers, exhume Zara’s body for a post-mortem, and hold an inquest into whether there was a criminal element in her death.

The other two individuals appointed as Judicial Commissioners today were Sessions Court judge Steve Ritikos and Sarawak-based lawyer Ratanah Devi Yusof Perumal.

The legal team for Zara Qairina’s family also extended their congratulations on Hamid’s appointment.

The team includes counsels Rizwandean M Borhan, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Farrah Nasser and Elhanan James.

“We would like to record our appreciation for his efforts, time, and guidance since the beginning of this case, including ensuring that the post-mortem was carried out, that the investigation was conducted thoroughly, and that it ultimately led to these inquest proceedings.

“Noraidah and our team greatly value his contributions and pray for the best for him in carrying out his new responsibilities,” they said.