KOTA KINABALU: At least one hostel resident heard a loud thump just before the body of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir was found sprawled on the ground in the early hours of July 16.
The student, who had woken early to do her laundry to avoid a long queue, said the sound came from outside the laundry room, about 15 feet from where Zara Qairina’s body was found.
There are only three washing machines on the hostel block.
“When she went to check, she saw someone lying on the ground but could not identify the victim because she was not wearing her glasses,” said Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, a security guard at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha in Papar who was on duty that night.
Linah told the Coroner’s Court that the student immediately alerted her at around 3am. She is also believed to be the first witness to see Zara Qairina’s unconscious body.
“When I went over, I saw part of the victim’s head on the cement and her body on the soil. Blood was coming from the back of her neck.
“Her clothes were slightly wet from the rain, and her sports shirt had ridden up to her chest. I pulled it down because the school ustaz was approaching,” she said.
Linah said she had taken a photo of Zara Qairina lying on the ground for her report, adding that she tried waking her up by touching her cheek, but there was no response.
The photo has since been marked as i7, the only evidence to show Zara Qairina’s position when she was found on the ground, and had been used for reference since the inquest started on Sept 3.
Zara Qairina was clad in her school sports uniform but was without slippers or a tudung.
Blood stains remained visible on the cement where she fell, Linah testified.
She said that with the help of students and a teacher, Zara Qairina’s body was moved closer to the road so the ambulance could reach her in the dark.
Linah added that when medical officers were lifting Zara into the ambulance with the help of her phone light, they saw that her leg was broken with a bone protruding near her ankle.
The guard confirmed she took a photograph of the ambulance leaving the school at 4.14am, which was later tendered in court.
Her testimony was consistent with the findings of pathologist Dr Jessie Hiu, who confirmed Zara Qairina’s injuries were in line with a fall from height.
Linah admitted she was uncertain of the exact floor Zara Qairina may have fallen from, but noted that the teen was boarding on the third floor of the hostel.
During questioning, Linah, who has worked at the school since 2012, said she had never witnessed physical bullying among students, though there was occasional verbal teasing.
She also confirmed that a practice known as “M.A,” where seniors would call juniors to give statements, was prohibited, and had been banned during the Enhanced Movement Control Order.
The inquest also heard that a theft had been reported in the hostel on the night of the incident. Linah said Zara Qairina was blamed and questioned by some students, but she did not know what happened after.
When asked how she would react if her belongings were stolen, Linah replied: “If it was RM20 or RM30, I would just donate it. But if it was a mobile phone, then I would report it to the teacher.”
The court was told that female wardens were absent from the girls’ hostel that night, though male wardens and teachers were later alerted.
“There are five wardens at the male dormitory, and about six to seven for the girls’ side. There is a warden’s room at the female dormitory, so the warden would either sleep there or return to the quarters located nearby,” she said.
Linah explained that her 12-hour shift begins at 8pm, during which she conducts at least three rounds of inspection around the school compound, hostel, and teachers’ quarters.
“I do my rounds at 8pm, 10pm, 12am and 2am. Each takes 30 to 40 minutes. We are required to write a report, which we could send via WhatsApp or record in a logbook. There was nothing amiss on the night of the incident,” she said.
She added that in her 12 years of experience, she usually recognised parents who came to the hostel, but did not know Zara Qairina’s mother as she mostly worked night shifts.
The inquest continues next week with testimony expected from a forensic doctor at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
