‘I Was Not Happy Living with Zara Qairina’s Mother’

KOTA KINABALU: The 81st witness in the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina Mahathir told the court that she was unhappy throughout the seven months she lived with her stepmother, Zara Qairina’s mother.

Malianah said she lived with Noraidah Lamat from 2011 until June 2012.

“Throughout the time I lived with my stepmother, she was good at pretending. Whenever my father was at home, my stepmother would treat me well.

“However, when my father went out to work as a driver, my stepmother’s attitude would change and she would show that she did not like me,” she said while reading her witness statement at the Coroner’s Court here on Tuesday.

Malianah also recounted an incident that occurred when she was in Year Five while living with Noraidah.

“My father had reminded my stepmother to pick me up after school at about 11am. However, she did not come to pick me up until the afternoon, and an uncle eventually sent me home.

“When I arrived home, I saw my stepmother lying down and reading a novel. When she saw me, she simply continued reading. She did not appear concerned about my safety even though I was only in Year Five at the time, and she ignored my father’s instruction.

“By the time I arrived home, I was already tired and late for KAFA school, and I did not have the energy to attend. So, I decided not to go.

“That night, my stepmother told my father that I was lazy and had skipped KAFA school. My father then scolded me because of what my stepmother had told him, even though I was only exhausted because she had failed to pick me up. It was not something I had deliberately done,” she said.

Malianah added that her stepmother would only cook for herself whenever her father was not at home.

“I had to cook for myself, wash my own clothes, including my school uniform, and prepare my own school necessities.

“However, whenever my father was at home, my stepmother would help me with all these things, including helping me with my schoolwork. She would pretend to show that she liked me.

“My stepmother also liked to use insults and harsh language such as, ‘You’re stupid’, ‘You’re stupid! That’s why your mother and father don’t take care of you’, and ‘Your father rarely comes home because he doesn’t like you’.

“My stepmother would also often tell me that my biological mother did not want to take care of me because she wanted to ‘enjoy herself’ and had another man.

“Throughout the time I lived with my stepmother, I experienced emotional distress because of her behaviour and the way she spoke to me. At the time, I was still a primary school pupil, yet I was treated that way. I could no longer endure it and asked my father to send me back to my biological mother’s home,” she said.

Sinar Harian