Missing pages and torn edges found in Zara's journal, expert testifies

 

Kota Kinabalu: A forensic scientist told the Coroner’s Court on Monday that a journal believed to belong to Zara Qairina Mahathir suffered extensive damage, with most of its pages and cover torn.

Dr Wan Nur Syuhaila Mat Desa testified before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that the 'Love and Peace' journal was the most incomplete compared to reference samples examined.

The 77th witness, an expert in document analysis called by the victim's mother, said physical reconstruction revealed the recovered loose sheets originated from two distinct text blocks.

She explained that two full text blocks were entirely missing from the journal, alongside torn edges indicating pages had been deliberately separated.

Dr Wan also revealed that non-destructive examinations recovered indented impressions on eight pages, but no matching pages containing the original content remained in the book.

She clarified that her role was strictly confined to physical and chemical document reconstruction without assessing authorship, meaning, or timing of the entries.

All detailed physical findings and recovered image impressions were formally submitted to the court via a joint Forensic Document Examination Report. - dailyexpress