Witnesses describe emotional distress, dorm incident before Zara Qairina’s death

A WITNESS told the Coroner’s Court in Kota Kinabalu on Wednesday that she and the late Zara Qairina Mahathir were previously involved in similar dormitory incidents involving missing money, and that Zara appeared deeply disturbed following an accusation and spot check the night before her death.

Testifying as the 18th witness in the ongoing inquest into Zara’s death, the student described a night of emotional turmoil, stating that Zara was called to another dormitory by a group of students in relation to a missing bank card.

“A student suspected Zara of taking the card. While Zara was in the other dorm, several students conducted a spot check on her locker and bag inside my room,” the witness said, according to lawyer Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, who is representing Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat.

The witness said that the search revealed only a few pin badges belonging to a senior student, which were found in Zara’s possession.

“At around 11pm, Zara returned to the room looking visibly upset. She slammed her locker shut, lay down in front of her wardrobe and began crying,” she added.

Zara, who was reportedly emotional and tearful, shouted: “Aku nda curi bah, sial!” (I didn’t steal, damn it!), denying the allegations made against her.

The court also heard that no one comforted Zara while she was crying. According to the 16th witness, another student in the dorm told others to “let her be, let her calm down”.

“She was clearly in emotional distress after her encounter with the students from the other dorm,” the lawyer said.

The witness further stated that Zara’s locker had a broken lock, unlike others in the dorm, and that she had seen Zara writing in a personal diary in the evenings, although she was unsure how many diaries Zara kept.

On the night of 15 July, Zara was called to the adjacent dormitory, believed to be in connection with the missing bank card. The witness did not follow but said the dorm’s remaining occupants, except Zara, were present during the search of her belongings.

The search lasted around 15 minutes, and the witness confirmed that only a few students were involved. Zara’s belongings were left scattered afterwards.

The following morning, on 16 July, Zara was found unconscious beneath the school’s dormitory building. She was pronounced dead the next day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

The inquest, now in its 19th day, is presided over by Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan. Zara’s family is represented by Mohd Syarulnizam and a legal team comprising Shahlan Jufri, Rizwandean M. Borhan, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Farrah Nasser and Elhanan James. - October 8, 2025