KOTA KINABALU, Sept 19 — The Coroner presiding over the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir expressed disappointment today after the court was informed that the statement of the first child witness had been leaked on social media.
The student, who is among those accused in the bullying case involving Zara, was scheduled to testify today; however, following the leak of her witness statement, Coroner Judge Amir Shah Amir Hassan postponed the hearing to Monday (September 22).
“I am very disappointed over this matter. Please take the necessary steps and lodge a police report over this issue,” he said, adding that the next proceeding will be held in camera.
Earlier, the student's lawyer Datuk Ram Singh informed the court that while his client had been prepared to testify, she and her mother had since become frightened and distressed after the statement went viral.
“I have seen on TikTok that the names and addresses of the five child offenders have been exposed. I seek the court’s guidance to protect the identities of all children, as the public now knows that these accused are scheduled to testify.
“I will lodge a police report on this, and I believe the conducting officer team will do the same. Their full names, addresses, and identity card numbers have been revealed. Therefore, I respectfully request that the court adjourn the case to Monday,” he said.
Since the conducting officers and other counsels did not object, Judge Amir then adjourned the case to Monday.
During the morning session, Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, head warden of SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha's hostel in Papar, concluded his testimony.
The eighth witness told the court that Zara's mother Noraidah Lamat had said her daughter had recorded the names of students who did not pray in a purple diary.
This information was conveyed by Noraidah on the night of July 16, when she was met at the 10th-floor ward of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital I.
He was being questioned by counsel Joan Goh, who represents one of the minors accused in the case, on the tenth day of the inquest proceedings into the death of the Form One student.
In response to Goh’s question as to whether Zara's mother had ever asked him if the deceased had reported any issues at school, Azhari replied:
“No… however, on the night of July 16, while visiting Zara Qairina in the 10th floor ward, her mother mentioned that her daughter had been diligent in recording the names of students who did not pray, the names of students who had performed the mandatory bath, and those who had not, in that purple diary.”
Zara died on July 17 at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital I in Kota Kinabalu and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang on the same day. She was admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar at 4am.
On August 8, the Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on August 13.
