Forensic expert: ‘Inconclusive’ handwriting finding does not implicate others in Zara inquest

A FORENSIC handwriting expert told the Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court that diary entries detailing the emotional struggles of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir were written by the teenager herself, while clarifying that her inability to identify the author of several disputed handwritten notes should not be construed as evidence that they were written by someone else.

Certified handwriting expert Dr Linthini Gannetion said her finding of “no conclusion” regarding several notes found on torn sheets of paper linked to Zara merely reflected the limitations of the handwriting samples available for comparison.

The 74th witness in the inquest said the classification did not support any conclusion that another individual authored the writings, according a report by TVS today.

Responding to questions from lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin, who represents four students associated with the case, Dr Linthini agreed that the finding simply reflected an inability to determine authorship rather than proof of a different writer.

She told the court she had not been provided with handwriting samples from November 2024 to January 2025, which could have assisted her analysis of the disputed documents.

Dr Linthini, who holds a doctorate in forensic document examination from Universiti Sains Malaysia, agreed that the absence of those samples was a limitation in the materials available for examination rather than any flaw in the torn pages themselves.

She further acknowledged that journal entries written during the same period would have provided a stronger basis for comparison and may have enabled her to reach a definitive conclusion.

The court also heard that the disputed torn pages were confirmed to have originated from a “Love and Peace” diary believed to belong to Zara. Dr Linthini agreed that the pages were authentic and not documents inserted from another source.

During cross-examination, Azhier referred Dr Linthini to consultant forensic psychiatrist Dr Chua Sze Hung’s psychological autopsy report, which contained diary entries documenting Zara’s emotional condition.

Among the entries highlighted was a passage dated June 17, 2025, in which Zara wrote: “My mental strength is not strong. It is better if I just die if this is how my life is meant to be.” (“mental saya pun nda kuat la, lebih baik saya mati ja dalam dunia ini kalau begitu jalan kehidupan saya”)

Another entry stated: (“Please, my mental strength is not strong enough to face all of this,” (“tolong la, mental saya nda kuat mau hadap semua ni”) before questioning the purpose of continuing to live if she had to cry every day.

When questioned by counsel, Dr Linthini confirmed that journals marked W1 and W2 were recognised as Zara’s 2025 journals and that she had detected no signs of tampering or alteration in journals W1, W2 or W3.

According to the NST, Azhier asked: “Based on your findings, the W2 entry in which the deceased wrote that it would be better if she died was written in her own handwriting, correct?”

Dr Linthini replied: “Correct.”

The witness further testified that while some disputed documents could be linked to Zara, others could not be conclusively attributed to her using the samples she had been provided.

The court heard that some notes which Dr Linthini could not attribute to the deceased had been linked to Zara by Chemistry Department document examiner Nurul Atiqah Mohd Noh.

After three days on the witness stand, Dr Linthini concluded her testimony before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan on the 77th day of the inquest.

Zara 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.

On August 13, 2025, the Attorney General’s Chambers directed that an inquest be conducted after reviewing the police investigation. Earlier, on August 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered the exhumation of Zara’s remains to facilitate a post-mortem examination.

The inquest continues tomorrow with testimony from another expert witness. - June 25, 2026