A SCHOOL warden told the Coroner’s Court that 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir had cried and repeatedly denied stealing anything, moments before she was last seen walking alone towards a toilet at her school hostel. She was later found unconscious below the building and died in hospital the following day.
Azhari Abd Sagap, 31, the head warden of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha in Limauan, Papar, recounted how Zara had been accused of theft on the night of 15 July, just hours before the tragic incident.
"A Form One student had complained to the hostel leader about missing belongings. Zara was called in and asked whether she had taken them. She denied it and swore 'wallahi' ("I swear by Allah" or "by God")," he testified during the eighth day of the inquest.
According to Azhari, other students searched Zara’s locker and bag, reportedly discovering a Jalur Gemilang pin belonging to the hostel head. Again, Zara denied any wrongdoing.
“She left the room crying, shouting, ‘I didn’t steal anything, stupid!’ That was the last time students saw her,” he said, citing information provided by a student.
Azhari, who also teaches Arabic and Quranic studies at the school, said he had ordered an internal inquiry and received five written confessions from hostel students about the incident, which he presented in court.
Earlier testimony from school security officer Linah Mansoding, 60, corroborated that Zara had been accused of stealing a wallet and interrogated by other students.
The inquest is probing the circumstances surrounding Zara’s death, which has sparked widespread concern over bullying, student welfare and hostel management practices in religious schools.
On the morning of 16 July, Azhari said he received a phone call from a security guard informing him that Zara had been found unconscious under the hostel block. Upon arriving, he admitted to instructing four students and the security guard to help carry her to a more sheltered area, roughly 20 metres away.
“I didn’t see any injuries initially. Only after lifting her did I notice a wound on her left leg and some blood at the edge of the drain,” Azhari said, explaining that he had intended to transport her to hospital using a private vehicle.
He said she was placed gently on a sarong in front of the female warden’s quarters, rather than in the nearby 'sick bay', which he claimed was only recently designated and not operational at the time.
When questioned by coroner’s officer Mohd Fairuz Johari on why Zara was moved before authorities arrived, Azhari responded: “I didn’t see major injuries and thought she could be taken to hospital quickly. I now realise it may not have been the best decision.”
Azhari also confirmed he had later discovered two diaries belonging to Zara, handed over to him by teachers after her death. One teacher found a green and a purple diary in her locker, while another discovered a brown diary and an exercise book while clearing Zara’s belongings. All items were eventually handed to police investigators.
He further testified that on 19 July, 15 separate pages from one of Zara’s diaries were found by a teacher in the classroom bookshelf and also given to the police.
The Coroner, Amir Shah Amir Hassan, said the inquest would proceed with testimony from child witnesses starting Friday. From a list of 35 students, only those directly involved will be allowed in the courtroom during their session.
“We will complete the children’s testimonies first, followed by a locus in quo (site visit), the date of which will be announced,” the coroner said.
The inquest, which began on 3 September, is expected to call at least 68 witnesses in total to determine the cause of Zara’s death. She was a Form One student in the Fatimah class and resided in the third-floor Qurratu Ayun dormitory with 11 other girls.
Her body was discovered in the early hours of 16 July and she was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu. - September 17, 2025
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