A WITNESS told the Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court on Thursday that she once found a torn diary belonging to the late Zara Qairina Mahathir in a rubbish bin.
The 35th witness, who is also the 26th student to testify, gave her evidence in camera before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
Lawyer Rizwandean M Borhan told reporters that the witness described Zara as a polite student who rarely became angry and was never seen to have problems with anyone.
“The witness admitted to finding Zara’s old diary, which had been torn and thrown into a rubbish bin. The torn pages were handed over to a teacher. She also confirmed that teachers and hostel wardens later packed up Zara’s belongings after her death,” he said outside the court.
Earlier, the witness testified that before 10 p.m. on 15 July, some junior students had suspected Zara of stealing a bank card belonging to another student.
“According to the witness, she and other dorm mates planned to carry out a spot check on Zara’s belongings. About six students, including herself, were involved in the spot check,” Rizwandean said.
That night, preparations were made to search for the missing card. A junior student from Zara’s dorm asked the witness to watch whether Zara would be called into the next dorm.
“The witness saw Zara heading back to her dorm but before she entered, she was called by a senior student into the adjacent dorm. The witness heard the senior calling, ‘Zara, come here,’ and confirmed it was a senior’s voice because no one from her batch spoke in that manner,” he said.
While Zara was in the next dorm, the witness and her dorm mates searched her locker, bag and trousers. “Initially, the witness checked Zara’s locker and found nothing, while three other juniors examined her bag.
“One later searched her trouser pockets. During the spot check, two Jalur Gemilang pins were found in Zara’s bag and pockets,” Rizwandean explained.
The witness also said that a torn letter from an exercise book was later found on Zara’s bed, believed to be a personal note, though its contents were unknown.
“She further stated that a junior student claimed to have lost RM21 in cash and said she saw the same amount in Zara’s wallet,” he said.
At around 11 p.m., Zara returned to her dorm in tears and distress, shouting, “I didn’t steal, damn it!” The witness said she had never seen Zara in such an emotional state before that night.
The witness also noted that some senior students frequently used harsh language, including insults such as “stupid” and “damn”, reflecting a culture of verbal intimidation among older students in the hostel.
Rizwandean and his team—Shahlan Jufri, Mohd Syarulnizam Mohd Salleh, Mohd Luqman Syazwan Zabidi, Farrah Nasser and Elhanan Jame—appeared in the inquest as representatives for Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious beneath her school hostel building in the early hours of 16 July and was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital. - October 30, 2025
