Zara Qairina never lodged complaints while living in school hostel - Head warden

KOTA KINABALU - The head warden of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha told the Coroner’s Court today that Zara Qairina Mahathir had never lodged any complaints about issues she may have faced while living in the school hostel.

Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, who is also Zara Qairina’s Arabic teacher, told Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that Zara Qairina was staying in the Qurratu Ayun hostel, located on the third floor of Rabiatul Adawiyah Block, along with 11 other students, and that the hostel is under his direct supervision.

"As her Arabic teacher and as the head warden, I never received any complaints from Zara Qairina regarding any problems she faced in the hostel,” he said while reading from his witness statement.

Recounting the events of July 16, Azhari said he received a distress call at 3.04 am from the school’s security guard, Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, informing him of an incident involving Zara Qairina.

"Upon arriving at the hostel building, I saw Zara Qairina lying unconscious in a drain. From my observation, she appeared to be breathing with a snoring-like sound. At that moment, five students and Linah were with me. I instructed them to move Zara to a flat, sheltered area, onto the cement surface,” he said.

Azhari said while Zara Qairina was being moved, he noticed blood stains on the edge of the drain and injuries on her ankle, which prompted him to immediately call the emergency number 991 at 3.17 am to request medical assistance.

After contacting the Assistant Principal for Student Affairs, he proceeded to the home of the school principal, Ustazah Shaharoom Hashim, who lives nearby, to inform her of the incident.

Azhari said he also tried to contact Zara Qairina’s parents but was unable to reach them.

"I called 991 a second time at 3.47 am. An ambulance arrived a little before 4 am and rushed her to the hospital,” he said, adding that he also lodged a police report of the incident at the Kota Kinabalu District Police Headquarters.

Zara Qairina breathed her last on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day.

On Aug 8, the Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem, before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13. - BERNAMA