THE Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court heard today that pupils at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha accused 13‑year‑old Zara Qairina Mahathir of stealing a wallet a night before she collapsed, though the claim remains unverified in the ongoing inquest.
Security guard Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha stated that on 15 July a student known only as “A” reported a wallet containing **RM300 in cash and a bank card** was missing after saying it was in his bag that morning.
“The person told me the wallet was in his bag in the morning, but it had disappeared by evening,” she testified, adding that A did not say who took it. Linah said she advised him to request that a warden safeguard his money.
Under questioning by the family’s lawyer Shahlan Jufri, Linah said that the theft allegation was brought to the attention of a senior student, and that dormitory warden Ustaz Rizani spoke with two students and interviewed others individually.
“When Zara Qairina was accused, a Form Four student called her and questioned her,” Linah told the court, though she admitted she did not know why Zara was singled out.
Linah also said she had only interacted with Zara twice since the start of the 2025 school term – once after seeing a TikTok video of her, and once when enforcing a rule about not being in the laundry area after midnight.
She said she attempted to ask Zara about the girl in the video, but that Zara declined to elaborate.
Zara was found unconscious near the girls’ hostel at about 4 a.m. on 16 July and died the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The Attorney‑General’s Chambers ordered the inquest after police submitted their investigation report, which continues to examine both the theft claim and the events preceding her collapse. - September 12, 2025
