A SHORT but deeply troubling voice recording between the late Zara Qairina Mahathir and her mother has gone viral, shedding light on the 13-year-old’s fear of a senior student known only as “Kak M” in the days leading up to her death.
Zara was found unconscious near the dormitory of a religious boarding school in Papar, Sabah, and later died at Queen Elizabeth I Hospital in Kota Kinabalu on 17 July.
The 44-second audio, believed to have been recorded just days before the incident, captures Zara expressing her growing anxiety over “Kak M,” a senior student she alleges had been hostile and threatening towards her.
“Mum, I’m scared of bumping into Kak M… she still \[has a problem]. That day, I asked someone to check with her sister—ask if Kak M still has an issue with me,” Zara is heard saying.
She continues: “And then Kak M said, ‘Yes, I still haven’t forgiven Zara,’ mum.”
In the same recording, Zara’s mother asks if she had erased her name from a board in the school’s Design and Technology (RBT) room. Zara responds: “Mum, I erased it… and then she wrote it again.”
Zara also voiced concern over threats she had allegedly received, saying: “If I touch you, you’ll be bleeding all over… if she really does it, what will happen?”
On 1 August, lawyers representing Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, confirmed in a statement that the voices in the recording belong to Zara and her mother.
The legal team, comprising Ismail Hamid and Shahlan Jufri, also confirmed that a supplementary police report was lodged at the Sipitang Police Station on 30 July.
According to the statement, Zara had previously reported harassment by senior students, including threats allegedly made by Kak M.
Yesterday, Inspector-General of Police Datuk Seri Mohd Khalid Ismail confirmed that the investigation papers into Zara’s death had been submitted to the Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC).
The AGC has acknowledged receipt of the preliminary investigation reports from both the Sabah branch (on 3 August) and its Putrajaya headquarters (on 4 August), and is expected to review the case for further action. - August 5, 2025
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