KOTA KINABALU, Sept 20 — The inquest into Zara Qairina Mahathir’s death this week sat for three days and revolved mostly around the testimony of a key figure — the 31-year-old chief warden at the hostel who was on the witness stand for two and a half days — the longest duration for any witness so far.
After examining the cause of death last week and establishing the mechanics of her injuries, this week delved further into setting up the circumstances, dispelling many online speculations, while also opening up more questions with warden Azhari Abd Sagap’s and forensic Dr Logaraj Ratha’s testimonies.
Events on the night of Zara Qairina’s fall
Zara Qairina was confronted by her Form 4 seniors and had her locker and bag searched by her Form One peers following accusations of theft involving money, a bank card, and other items.
There were four separate complaints of stolen items that day, but Zara Qairina was suspected of stealing from two, including her best friend, student A.
During the search, the students found a Malaysian flag pin in her badge belonging to her dorm leader, who was also one of the seniors involved in the confrontation, but none of the other missing items.
She ran out in distress, crying and insisting she had not stolen anything.
From there, she was last seen on the third-floor toilet/bathroom, just adjacent to where she was believed to have fallen from.
The seniors later admitted in a written statement to the school that they had used harsh language during their confrontation with Zara Qairina, although Azhari clarified that they did not physically harm her. The same students are currently facing a bullying charge in Children’s Court.
The missing items were not recovered.
Azhari was also the second adult on the scene of Zara Qairina’s fall, and admitted to ordering students to carry her body, with the intention of taking her to the hospital.
The plan was abandoned when he realised they could not carry her 53kg body far, so they waited for an ambulance instead.
There were questions about why Azhari ordered the students to move Zara Qairina instead of carrying her himself to which he said he considered that “I’m a male, Zara is female” and he believed the four female students, along with a security guard, could manage.
Complex friendship with “Student A”
Student A has emerged as one of the central figures in the inquest.
She is among the five accused of bullying Zara Qairina, yet was also her best friend — having spent the weekend before the incident at Zara’s home in Sipitang.
Zara Qairina’s mother said she knew Zara ‘A to Z’ but Student A was also involved in the confrontation on July 15.
Student A’s mother claimed her daughter had been subjected to harassment, including stolen belongings, a broken-into locker, shoes strewn about, and personal items such as a phone card and iron being “borrowed” and returned in poor condition.
The inquest heard that Student A’s mother had pleaded for her daughter to be moved to a different dorm where she hoped she would not be subject to the same treatment after complaining almost monthly since March of untoward incidents.
However, warden Azhari said that all the complaints received were from Student A’s mother and claimed that Student A had not personally reached out or exhibited any signs of distress.
The last message she sent was on the night of July 15, at 10.54pm after a series of messages asking for Azhari to conduct a “spot check” for the stolen items, including her IC and bank card.
Azhari said he had called Student A to come down from her dorm at the time Zara Qairina was found because he saw the messages from her mother and wanted to ask her about it, although he later said he only saw the messages upon arriving at the hospital.
Lawyers for Student A alleged that she was traumatised by the events and later asked her mother to withdraw her from the school on July 18.
After extended medical sick leave, she was eventually transferred out.
Azhari said that he did not think she was traumatised from her demeanour, and pointed out a photo taken on July 18 where Student A, who was sitting with her friend, was seen flashing a peace sign.
The extent of the bullying and whether it was addressed
Investigations have pointed towards elements of bullying, although the matter remains ambiguous, compounded with allegations of neglect by Student A’s mother.
It was heard that Zara Qairina’s name was scrawled on the school’s RBT or design technology class with “Zara perasan cantik” (“Zara thinks she’s pretty”), and that she had indeed been threatened by a senior named “Kak M” who uttered the words “Kalau aku touch touch kau ni, berdarah sudah” (“If I touch you, you’ll bleed”).
Azhari said that Kak M was feeling “emotionally unstable” that day because of her messy room.
Student A’s lawyer, Joan Goh, also submitted a series of monthly Telegram messages sent by Student A’s mother to Azhari, detailing incidents of bullying, theft, property misuse, phone card confiscation, and repeated requests to transfer her daughter to a different dorm.
Azhari said the school conducted internal investigations into the complaints, although these largely consisted of questioning the students involved.
When a student denied any wrongdoing, Azhari said there was no evidence of misconduct and that Student A was even advised not to “simply accuse” others of stealing.
Azhari also said the complaints were made by Student A’s mother, not by Student A herself.
He added that Student A did not express any signs of distress when asked.
When the judge expressed concerns about her line of questioning, Goh said that her intent was to show ongoing bullying and neglect on the part of the school.
Azhari said the four senior students who confronted Zara Qairina on the night of July 15 over theft allegations were given counselling sessions after the incident came to light.
He admitted, however, that they should have reported the matter to the warden instead of confronting her directly.
Rumours of “Tomboy” and “Kak M”
Azhari clarified that neither Kak M nor Tomboy were involved in any incidents leading up to Zara Qairina’s death, contrary to social media speculation.
“Kak M” was a senior student mentioned in a viral audio clip between Zara and her mother, in which she allegedly made a threatening remark in May.
He said that Tomboy was not present in the state the night Zara fell — she was in Perlis for a school programme with another teacher while the Kak M matter did occur.
Azhari said the school conducted an investigation after the audio clip was released by Zara Qairina’s mother, but noted that neither Zara nor her mother had filed a report with school authorities prior to the recording going viral.
Azhari said he had passed along results of the investigation to the police.
When asked about other accusations directed at the school, Azhari became emotional and said that one of the students had been wrongly identified as Kak M on social media.
Other issues:
Why there was no autopsy performed initially
A forensics doctor who had dealt with Zara Qairina’s body insisted he had informed her mother, Noraidah Lamat of her right to ask for an autopsy despite the police’s decision not to ask for one.
He said he had repeatedly explained to her, in front of another relative, Nur Shila.
Noraidah had previously stated that the doctors had not met her or told her of the importance of a post mortem.
Social media impact
The intense scrutiny from social media has impacted the case and people involved in many ways, most notably emotional distress.
Proceedings were halted on Friday after documents leaking the name and personal details of the first witness, Student A.
A TikTok video also showed the names of other student witnesses.
Azhari felt that the students, the school and he was vilified by social media speculations and vitriol in an emotional outburst on Thursday. He said his own personal life was impacted.
Zara’s diaries
The significance of her diaries remains unclear but Noraidah had noted how Zara Qairina liked to keep journals.
Two were found in her cupboard initially, and another two a day later.
School authorities found additional 15 loose pages at her classroom’s book rack, an open space which could be accessed by anyone.
Noraidah had asked for these diaries, but the police also requested them as evidence.
Azhari noted that he and another teacher had read most of the content, and believed other students had likely accessed them as well.
No reports of bullying from Zara or her mother
Despite audio evidence submitted of Zara Qairina complaining of being threatened and harassed, no reports were ever made to the school, said the warden.
He said Zara Qairina was a “normal 13-year-old student” who did not exhibit any signs of being bullied.
Why was the female warden of the dorm not present?
Questions were raised about why Azhari was called and not the female wardens of the dormitory the night of Zara Qairina’s fall.
