KOTA KINABALU, Oct 21 — A senior student told the Coroner’s Court today that she did not believe the late Zara Qairina Mahathir was involved in any theft, instead describing the teenager as cheerful and helpful.
The 16th witness, a student at SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar, gave her testimony on the 25th day of the inquest into Zara’s death before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Lawyer Rizwandean M. Borhan, representing Zara’s mother, said the witness described Zara as a happy-go-lucky student who respected her seniors and never complained about any problems or pressure.
“She said Zara was disliked by some dormitory students who labelled her ‘Zara the troublemaker’ over theft allegations. The witness firmly denied believing these accusations,” he told the press after the session.
The witness confirmed she heard no sounds of a fall or anything unusual before the incident that night, and had also revealed a culture of seniors verbally abusing and scolding juniors in the dormitory.
Recalling her own harsh experiences during ‘MA’ (Mesyuarat Aras), a meeting between senior and junior students, the witness became emotional and tearful.
“As a result of MA, the witness remains deeply affected to this day and is often mocked by seniors around school. She was ridiculed for being a Badar, a student known for confiscating phones, and called jibam, meaning tattletale. She chose to ignore these taunts,” Rizwandean said.
Meanwhile, lawyer Datuk Ram Singh, representing a child involved in the bullying case, shared testimony from the 17th witness, a Form One student.
The witness said she saw a scar resembling a ‘barcode’ on Zara’s arm while in the dormitory bathroom, which Zara showed her.
“She (the witness) said she did not know why. She did not want to ask why, but she knew what a barcode was.
"When asked if there were many lines, she replied, ‘Yes, quite a few lines,’” he told the press.
The witness also confirmed reading Zara’s diary with her permission, noting that most entries mentioned other witnesses set to testify later.
Zara, 13, was pronounced dead at the Queen Elizabeth I Hospital on July 17 after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory at 4am on July 16.
The inquest will resume tomorrow.
