A 13TH witness, and the fifth child to testify in the ongoing inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir, told the Coroner’s Court here on Monday that while abusive language was used by a senior student on the night of 15 July, it was not directed at the deceased.
According to lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin, the child witness confirmed that Zara had indeed been summoned by five senior students to a dormitory room on the night in question.
“The witness did not deny that Zara was called into the dorm room by several seniors that night. However, while the words ‘bodoh’ and ‘sial’ were used, it was by a single student—not the group—and the witness clarified that these words were not aimed at Zara,” he told reporters outside the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex.
“When asked about the context, the witness said the student uttering the words was standing at the door—not directly facing Zara.”
When questioned further on whether Zara had been bullied, humiliated, oppressed, or mocked for wanting to become a Badar (student prefect), the witness replied that she had not.
Azhier also addressed the issue of the so-called ‘Geng Circle 19’, a group of 19 students frequently involved in school activities together, which had drawn public scrutiny following Zara’s death.
“I asked whether ‘Circle 19’ should be regarded as a gang or merely a group of students. The witness said they were simply a group of students and denied any involvement in gangsterism at the hostel.
“I also asked if they were involved in the gathering with Zara that night. The witness said no. They were not involved in surrounding or intimidating her, nor were they connected directly to her death,” Azhier stated.
He said he had then invited the child to conclude, based on personal experience and observation, whether students labelled as B, C, D, and E had bullied or oppressed Zara, leading to her death.
“The witness answered no. That was the witness’s own testimony. As lawyers, our role is not to twist the facts. We ask questions, and the witness responds. It’s up to the coroner to interpret those answers. We’re not here to persuade or spin,” he added.
He reiterated that it was the coroner’s responsibility to assess all testimonies, and that legal representatives were present merely to guide the questioning process.
“What I’ve said today is not a conclusion—it’s simply information for the public, given that media access to child testimony is restricted. So please, avoid speculation. The inquest is still ongoing, and more witnesses are expected to take the stand.”
Azhier and his team—Abdul Fikry Jaafar Abdullah, Farah Nazriah Chun Lee, Fareez Salleh and Sylyester Kuan—represent four of the five teenagers under scrutiny in the death of Zara Qairina. The inquest, now in its 16th day, is being heard by Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
On Monday, the child witness also acknowledged that it was common within the boarding school environment for senior students to scold juniors harshly, describing it as a ‘normal culture’ among hostel students.
The witness explained that such treatment was viewed as a rite of passage.
“The witness stated that being reprimanded or harshly spoken to by seniors was a normal experience for juniors—because the seniors themselves had gone through the same treatment when they were younger,” said a lawyer representing the victim’s mother, Noraidah Lamat.
Representing Noraidah are Shahlan Jufri, Rizwandean M Borhan, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Farrah Nasser, and Elhanan James.
The 13th witness also testified to having a close relationship with members of Circle 19 and acknowledged that crude language had been used during the incident—but said it was uttered casually among friends.
The same witness also reportedly made efforts to identify the teacher who confiscated a student’s mobile phone on the morning of the incident, noting that phones were not permitted in the dormitory.
Describing Zara as cheerful and friendly, the child said the deceased had not shown any signs of mental distress or emotional pressure in the days leading up to the tragedy.
The child’s testimony concluded before noon, with the court proceeding to hear from a sixth child witness later that afternoon.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious beneath her school’s dormitory building in the early hours of 16 July. She was pronounced dead the following day at Hospital Queen Elizabeth. - September 30, 2025
