THE Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court hearing into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir was told that tears flowed twice from the teenager’s eyes while she was being treated in critical condition at hospital after reportedly falling from the third floor of a hostel building.
Giving evidence as the 71st witness in the inquest proceedings, Zara’s aunt, Nur Shira Abdullah, described the final hours before the teenager was pronounced dead at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Nur Shira, 46, told the court she was informed about the incident by Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, before immediately travelling to Sabah.
“At the hospital, I saw Zara unconscious, in critical condition and receiving intensive treatment. The doctor informed us that Zara’s condition was extremely serious and that she was in a state of ‘brain death’,” she said while reading her written witness statement before coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
She testified that Zara was being monitored using ventilator support and heart-monitoring equipment before the cardiac monitoring machine suddenly stopped functioning at around 1pm.
“Zara was monitored using breathing assistance and heart monitoring machines. However, at approximately 1pm, the heart monitor suddenly shut down and I informed the nurse about it,” she said.
Nur Shira further claimed that hospital staff had on several occasions suggested the family consider discontinuing oxygen support on July 16 and July 17, explaining the possible complications of continuing treatment.
“Initially the family agreed based on the explanation given, but the process to stop the treatment could not be carried out because the heart monitor stopped suddenly.
“At that time, I was at the hospital with Zara because her mother and my husband were away lodging a police report at the police station,” she said.
According to the witness, Zara was officially pronounced dead between 4pm and 4.30pm by the attending doctor in the presence of investigating officer Wong.
In emotional testimony, Nur Shira recounted witnessing physical reactions from the teenager while reciting the syahadah beside her hospital bed.
“While I was beside Zara reciting the syahadah into her ear, I saw fluid mixed with a small amount of blood and foam coming out from her mouth, and tears flowed from Zara’s eyes twice,” she said.
The court also heard allegations concerning the extent of injuries observed on the teenager’s body.
Nur Shira said part of Zara’s hair had been shaved, although she did not see any major open wounds or visible stitches on the head.
“On the left side of the head near the shaved area, when I touched it, I felt the inside of the head was soft and watery,” she testified.
She further claimed to have seen extensive bruising across the teenager’s body, particularly on the back and rib areas.
“On the back of the body, I saw obvious bruises, especially around the ribs, in the form of long lines extending from the waist to the shoulders, and the bruises appeared dark bluish-black.
“I also saw fine bruising resembling veins spreading across the back of the body. I did not see bones protruding externally from the legs, but I observed that the ankle appeared dislocated,” she said.
Nur Shira also repeated earlier testimony that Zara Qairina had previously shared stories about bullying, intimidation and disturbances at her boarding school hostel at SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha.
According to the witness, the teenager had spoken about fights among students, complaints allegedly ignored by wardens, theft incidents and discomfort caused by certain hostel residents.
She maintained that Zara had appeared emotionally stable and close to her family before entering secondary school, while describing Noraidah as a caring and responsible mother deeply concerned about her daughter’s education and wellbeing.
The witness also claimed the family had little understanding of post-mortem procedures following the teenager’s death and said no clear explanation regarding the process had been provided at the time. - May 19, 2026
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