THE Kota Kinabalu Coroner's Court heard on Friday that the late Zara Qairina Mahathir may have suffered impaired judgement after experiencing acute emotional distress following an incident at her boarding school on 15 July 2025, according to expert psychiatric testimony presented during the ongoing inquest into her death.
Consultant psychiatrist Dr Wong Haw Huo told the court that, based on the available evidence and information, Zara experienced an acute emotional disturbance in close proximity to the events of 15 July.
"In such circumstances, judgement, the ability to think rationally and behavioural control are likely to have been impaired," BH cited him saying in his witness statement before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan today.
Dr Wong, who is attached to Rafflesia Medical Centre in Kota Kinabalu, described the events of 15 July as psychiatrically significant, saying witness testimony pointed to a group confrontation involving accusations, the inspection of personal belongings, negative remarks, public humiliation, obvious emotional distress, crying, denials and, ultimately, self-isolation.
The court heard that Zara was allegedly confronted by several students, including senior pupils, over accusations which she denied, and was reported to have appeared visibly distressed throughout the incident.
According to the psychiatrist, witness accounts indicated that she became emotionally overwhelmed following the confrontation before withdrawing from others.
"The absence of immediate support or attention from friends following the incident is clinically relevant," he said, adding, Zara was subsequently reported to have remained alone for an extended period while in an emotionally distressed state.
Witness observations from the early hours of 16 July 2025 described signs of emotional distress, social withdrawal and unusual behaviour, Dr Wong said.
"From a psychiatric perspective, the reported emotional distress, self-isolation and unusual behaviour following the confrontation may reflect acute emotional distress, feelings of humiliation, shame, overwhelming psychological burden and a reduced capacity for emotional regulation," he added.
Summarising his psychiatric assessment, Dr Wong said Zara's emotional distress appeared to have accumulated through an interaction between developmental vulnerabilities, relationship sensitivity, impulsive traits and escalating interpersonal pressures within the boarding school environment.
He said those vulnerabilities were compounded by repeated misunderstandings, the spread of rumours, social exclusion, peer conflict, accusations and experiences perceived as humiliating in relation to the events of 15 July 2025.
However, he also noted that the available information suggested Zara possessed several protective strengths, including an active social life, the ability to reflect on her experiences, efforts to repair relationships, aspirations for the future, reliance on religious beliefs to cope with stress and a psychologically significant bond with her mother.
"Based on the balance of probabilities, the events of 15 July 2025 constituted an interpersonal stressor that occurred against a backdrop of an already psychologically distressed state.
"Clinically, it is reasonable to conclude that at the material time, the deceased was experiencing acute emotional disturbance associated with a reduced capacity for reflective thinking and a diminishing ability to employ effective coping strategies," he said.
Dr Wong stressed, however, that his expert opinion could not determine Zara's actual intentions at the time of the incident. He told the court that because the assessment was conducted retrospectively and no psychiatric examination had been performed while Zara was alive, no definitive conclusion could be reached regarding her actual mental state or specific intent.
He also emphasised that the report, prepared jointly with consultant psychiatrist Dr Aili Hanim Hashim, represented a psychiatric opinion only and did not determine the legal cause of death, establish findings of fact or assign liability.
Zara was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school hostel in the early hours of 16 July 2025 and died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital the following day. Her death, which allegedly involved elements of bullying, sparked nationwide calls for stronger anti-bullying measures and greater accountability among those responsible for student welfare. - June 26, 2026
