A TEENAGE witness has told the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir that she was stunned to find the 13-year-old lying motionless beneath their school dormitory in the early hours of 16 July, just hours after she had been confronted over a missing wallet.
The student from Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama (SMKA) Tun Datu Mustapha testified before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that she had returned to her dormitory around 10pm on 15 July after Zara was questioned over the alleged theft of a wallet containing cash and an identification card.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who represents Zara’s family, said the tenth child witness to testify – also confirmed she had not left her room between midnight and 3am on 16 July.
“The witness said she was awakened by a roommate who told her that Zara was lying motionless downstairs. She said he was shocked by what she saw from the third-floor staircase,” Shahlan told reporters after the hearing at the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex.
The witness confirmed that Zara had been summoned to another dormitory around 9pm, where she denied taking the missing items in front of several students.
She recalled saying to Zara: “If you took it, just admit it. We won’t be angry.”
Shortly afterwards, a group of other students arrived and questioned Zara again. The witness said she was not involved in the second round of questioning and did not know if anyone had attempted to stop it.
“She remembered one student using the word ‘stupid’,” said Shahlan, noting that the witness did not observe any unusual emotional reaction from Zara before she left the room.
The witness also clarified that the gathering was not an official dormitory or room meeting, but involved members of a group known as Circle Nineteen, of which she was a part.
“All members of Circle Nineteen were from the same academic year but stayed in different dormitory blocks,” she said.
When asked, the witness said he was unsure whether the group also advised other students in cases involving disciplinary matters or missing belongings.
Shahlan further noted that it was common practice at the school for senior students to reprimand juniors for violating hostel rules.
Meanwhile, a forensic document examination team is expected to return to the coroner’s court on Friday, 10 October, to begin a second round of analysis of 11 newly unsealed documents presented by the 17th witness, a chemist and DNA expert.
The team comprises Tay Eue Kam, Dr Dzulkiflee Ismail, and Dr Wan Nur Shuhaila Mat Desa. Their task will be to compare the new documents with existing evidence already presented in court, as well as material submitted by the family’s legal team.
The inquest will resume on Monday, 13 October. - October 9, 2025
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