<figure id="attachment_3126373" aria-describedby="caption-attachment-3126373" style="width: 1600px" class="wp-caption aligncenter"><img loading="lazy" class="wp-image-3126373 size-full" src="https://media.freemalaysiatoday.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/08/53c769fb-zara-qairina-fb-resize-040825-1.webp" alt="Zara Qairina" width="1600" height="1000" /><figcaption id="caption-attachment-3126373" class="wp-caption-text">Zara Qairina Mahathir died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17 last year, a day after she was found unconscious near her school&#8217;s dormitory in Papar. (Facebook pic)</figcaption></figure>
KOTA KINABALU: A student told the Zara Qairina Mahathir inquest here today the atmosphere at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha&#8217;s dormitory on the night of July 15, 2025, was “tense” and “scary”.
The witness told the coroner&#8217;s court that three incidents involving Zara took place that night, lawyer Shahlan Jufri, representing Zara&#8217;s mother, Noraidah Lamat, said.
According to Shahlan, the witness said Zara was first questioned by two senior students over an alleged theft, before being questioned again by the same two students and another senior student.
“The third incident involved a senior student reading a letter stating that Zara wanted to become a ‘badr’ (school prefect),&#8221; he told reporters after today&#8217;s proceedings, held behind closed doors.
&#8220;These three incidents occurred within a span of 10 to 20 minutes inside the dormitory.”
Shahlan said the witness also testified that during the incident, a senior student instructed the roommates “not to look and not to listen”, and that there were swear words used, which frightened the witness.
Questioned by coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan on whether such incidents were common in the dormitory, the witness said similar occurrences had happened several times, but described the events on the night of July 15 as particularly frightening.
Shahlan also said another student witness, who was recalled, told the court she received a note from Zara tucked in a book, bearing the words “bye dear”.
Asked about the note, the witness said Zara had intended to inform her that she was going to the mosque first and that they would meet there later.
Zara, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on July 17 last year, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near the school&#8217;s dormitory in Papar.
The inquest continues on Monday.

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