Zara Qairina Inquest: Witness Describes Night Of July 15 As "Tense And Scary" At SMKA Dormitory

KOTA KINABALU, Jan 23 (Bernama) --   A student witness told the Coroner’s Court here today that the atmosphere at Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha dormitory on the night of July 15, 2025, was “tense” and “scary”.

Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, representing the late Zara Qairina Mahathir’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, said the witness testified that three incidents took place that night.

According to Shahlan, the witness said Zara Qairina was first questioned by two senior students over an alleged theft, before being questioned again by two other students, together with another senior student.

“The third incident involved a senior student reading a letter stating that Zara Qairina wanted to become ‘Badr’. All three incidents occurred within a span of 10 to 20 minutes inside the dormitory room,” Shahlan told reporters after the inquest proceedings, which were held behind closed doors today.

He 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.

When 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 added that another student witness, who was recalled, told the court that she received a yellow note from Zara Qairina tucked into a book, bearing the words “bye dear”.

When asked about the note, the witness said Zara Qairina had intended to inform her that she was going to the mosque first and that they would meet there later.

Zara Qairina, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17 last year, a day after she was found unconscious in a drain near the SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha dormitory in Papar.

On Aug 13, the Attorney General’s Chambers (AGC) ordered an inquest after reviewing the police investigation report.

Earlier, on Aug 8, the AGC ordered Zara Qairina’s grave be exhumed to enable a post-mortem examination.

The inquest proceedings will continue this Monday and will remain closed to the public as they involve child witnesses.

-- BERNAMA