[UPDATED] Zara Qairina inquest: Mother tells court she has reservations over charged student's story
By Olivia Miwil
KOTA KINABALU: A mother of a student charged in the alleged insulting of Zara Qairina Mahathir told the coroner's court that she could usually tell when her daughter was not being truthful.
The 42-year-old housewife, the 62nd witness in the inquest into Zara's death, said that while she generally trusts her daughter - identified as Student A in the inquest - she did not accept her accounts without reservation.
She said she could tell when her daughter was lying, as the girl would become agitated and change her words.
"Even so, I keep about 10 per cent doubt," she said when examined by lawyer Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul during the afternoon session.
She said her daughter had previously been caught lying at home after doing something to her siblings.
Student A is among five children charged in the alleged insulting case involving Zara.
Her mother said that despite having a good relationship with Student A, she would reprimand her and impose necessary punishments, such as forbidding her from going out to play and refusing requests she made.
"I am a fierce and firm mother, especially when it comes to manners and speech.
"I also did not expose her to 'heavy' social issues. Even kissing scenes on television, I would ask her to close her eyes.
"That is why when there were strange or immoral things, she would think of them as unusual because she had never seen such things," she said, referring to Student A having inquired about alleged intimate actions between Zara and another student at the school dormitory.
The witness also testified that Student A had many friends during her primary school years.
Meanwhile, she said her intention in informing the school warden about the alleged poor relationship between Zara, her mother and grandmother was related to dormitory regulations.
In her witness statement, the mother said her daughter had informed her that Zara disliked both family members.
She said that the incident was believed to have occurred on Feb 21, 2025, when Student A said Zara had left her mother waiting for two hours, from 2pm to 4pm.
"I told the warden so that she would be aware of this issue, as parents are not allowed to go in or upstairs at the dormitory. But Zara's mother went up after she became angry from waiting too long and being ignored by Zara downstairs.
"I was once told to leave when I tried to go in," the witness added.
Zara Qairina, 13, was found unconscious on the ground floor of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha dormitory on July 16 last year and died the following day.
The inquest will resume tomorrow.
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