Zara Qairina Was Conscious In Last Meeting With Student, Psychiatrist Testifies

KOTA KINABALU: A consultant psychiatrist told the Coroner’s Court here today that Zara Qairina Mahathir was conscious and able to recognise individuals around her during her final encounter with a student on the night before she was found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel on July 16 last year.

Referring to the testimony of a senior student who claimed to be the last person to see Zara Qairina before the incident, Dr Wong Haw Huo however said that during that meeting, Zara Qairina appeared to be in a distressed state.

He said the senior student’s testimony, who was also the 65th witness, that “her face looked red as if she had just been crying” indicated that Zara Qairina was experiencing deep emotional distress after isolating herself in the toilet.

“Perhaps she (Zara Qairina) had just come out of the toilet and then ran into the witness, and she recognised the student, and her face looked like she had just been crying,” he said.

Dr Wong said the witness also testified that Zara Qairina had said “I want to transfer schools” followed by “I want to jump,” but the deceased had difficulty explaining the reason behind those words following the events that had occurred just hours earlier.

“Zara was said to have been accused by a group (of students) and faced repeated confrontations from that group, as well as being humiliated in front of her peers. She cried and screamed, but no one comforted her.

“She went to the toilet hoping that someone would come looking for her, because at that time she was in a very fragile state and her emotions were unstable. She wanted to restore her psychological state,” Dr Wong said during the inquest into Zara Qairina’s death today.

He said this when responding to a question from proceedings officer Mohd Fairuz Johari on whether Zara Qairina truly understood the implications of the act of “jumping” when it was explained that such an act could lead to death.

Dr Wong said he could not confirm whether Zara Qairina understood the consequences of that act without first determining the teenager’s level of understanding and capability at that time.

“She was in a confined and enclosed space in the dormitory room, and no one, including her roommate, came to ask about her. This was the first time they had seen Zara experiencing such severe emotional distress. Such a situation had never happened before.

“We can see how severe the psychological pressure she was experiencing was, and how strong the negative feelings were within her. She wanted to seek help or support, but no one came forward to help,” he said.

Meanwhile, Dr Wong said there were reports that Zara Qairina was considered by some friends as someone who craved attention, especially due to her tendency to stand out in social interactions, and she was described as friendly and warm by primary school friends, teachers and peers.

He said that personality may have been interpreted differently by individuals who did not know her well, particularly in the new environment of a boarding school.

“For those who did not know her well, especially peers and senior students, they may have perceived the junior student as someone who craved attention because she often spoke loudly, was very friendly, and did not understand the hierarchy system in a boarding school,” he said.

Dr Wong said his assessment was not based on mere assumption, but was supported by information from various witnesses and sources, including negative content directed at Zara Qairina on social media, as well as labels such as “sok Badar” and “sok cantik” allegedly given by some of her peers.

He said such negative perceptions reflected the views of some peers or senior students towards Zara Qairina and may have made her an easy target, with some perceiving her as someone who was prone to causing trouble.

“We cannot deny that this caused difficulties in interpersonal relationships that occurred continuously from March, April, May, June to July,” he said.

Earlier in the proceedings, the court also observed a moment of silence to mark the one-year anniversary of Zara Qairina’s passing, who was 13 years old at the time.

Zara Qairina died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025, a day after she was found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel at approximately 4 am.

The inquest proceedings continue tomorrow. 

BERNAMA