KOTA KINABALU, Sept 18 — The late Zara Qairina Mahathir’s school, SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha, has introduced bedtime prayers following her tragic death.
Chief warden Azhari Abdul Sagap told the Coroner’s Court today that the measure was decided during a meeting convened by the school’s administration shortly after Zara Qairina’s passing on July 17.
“At the meeting, which was held in the dormitory’s Block C, the school discussed improvements. One of the new things was the recitation of prayers before sleep. Before this, it was only a lights-off order over the loudspeaker at 11pm,” he said.
He said the move was intended to prevent a repeat of similar tragedies, though he could not recall if any other preventive actions were agreed upon.
When asked by Shahlan Jufri, counsel for Zara Qairina’s mother, whether he knew of another case of bullying at the boys’ dormitory that reportedly mirrored Zara Qairina’s, Azhari replied he was unaware.
“I don’t know because I am no longer at the school,” he said, adding that he was temporarily transferred to the department’s headquarters shortly after the incident.
Azhari also confirmed that before Zara Qairina’s death was officially declared, a meeting was held on July 17 involving the school principal, the senior assistant for student affairs and wardens to discuss issues at the hostel.
However, he said he left early to accompany a student to the Papar district police headquarters and did not know the outcome of the meeting.
On the school’s internal probe into alleged bullying on the night of July 15 before Zara Qairina was found unconscious, Azhari said students were questioned and five written statements were taken.
“That was all. As far as I know, the school did not carry out further investigations beyond that, except that there was also an inquiry into another student, referred to as A,” he said.
The inquest into Zara Qairina’s death is ongoing.
