KOTA KINABALU, Sept 10 — A security guard told the Coroner’s Court today that she found the late Zara Qairina Mahathir lying on her back in a drain, unconscious and with her neck bleeding, at 3am on July 16.
Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, who has served at SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar since July 1, 2012, said that on the day of the incident, at 2am, she was patrolling the female hostel at Rabiatul Adawiyah Block and found no unusual incidents.
“I then proceeded to the adjacent hostel block, namely Sumayyah Block, which is also a female hostel, to continue my patrol,” said the mother of four, who was on duty from 8pm on July 15 until 8am on July 16.
At 3am while she was at Sumayyah Block, she was informed by a student that a female student had fainted in the drain near Rabiatul Adawiyah Block.
The witness said this while reading her statement before Coroner Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan on the fifth day of the inquest proceedings into the teenager’s death.
“I immediately rushed to the hostel and found a female student known as Zara lying on her back in the hostel drain unconscious,” said Linah.
She then promptly contacted the hostel's head warden Azhari Abd Sagap and informed him of the incident, before taking a picture of the victim lying in the drain.
“After Ustaz Azhari arrived at the scene, he immediately contacted the hospital, and an ambulance arrived at about 4am. The student was taken to the Queen Elizabeth Hospital I for treatment,” Linah said.
The witness also confirmed that there were no closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras installed at the hostel block, and no grilles (iron bars) fitted along the hostel building corridors.
When questioned by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, she said the picture of the victim, which she had taken using her mobile phone, was sent to four teachers and the head warden via WhatsApp.
The phone was later taken by the police at the end of July to assist in the investigation.
During questioning by lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who is representing Zara's family, Linah said that she recognised the victim as Zara because she was already familiar with the students there.
Shahlan: Earlier, you said a student informed you about the incident. Can you tell us what she said?
Linah: The student said, “Aunty, aunty, there is a girl who fainted… I went closer but I did not want to touch (the victim)… I was scared… she was unconscious but still breathing.”
She added that at the time of the incident, all the students in the hostel were still asleep.
“The student looked frightened. I asked who had fainted, but she (the student) said she could not recognise the person because she was short-sighted,” Linah said.
The witness noted that she contacted Azhari because she did not have the phone number of the new head warden, known as Cikgu Anis.
“I did not call Cikgu Anis, instead I called Ustaz Azhari. He lived in a terrace house behind the hostel… I only called once, and Ustaz Azhari immediately answered,” she said.
Shahlan: When Ustaz Azhari arrived, what did he say?
Linah: He said, Astaghfirullahalazim… what has happened? I replied, I also do not know, Ustaz, when I arrived… she had already fallen.
She said that Azhari called several female teachers, with four female teachers and the school principal arriving at the scene later, who also inquired about the incident.
The inquest proceedings before Coroner Judge Amir will continue tomorrow.
Zara, 13, passed away at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital I in Kota Kinabalu on July 17.
She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious in the drain near her school hostel in Papar at 4am.
On August 13, the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered an inquest to be conducted after reviewing the police investigation report. Earlier on August 8, the AGC had issued an order to exhume her remains to enable a post-mortem to be carried out.
