KOTA KINABALU: The Coroner’s Court heard that the Discipline Unit of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha did not inform its principal about students’ written statements recorded during an internal investigation into the incident involving Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Principal Shaharoom Hashim told Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that she was verbally informed on July 17, 2025 about a report dated July 16, but was never told that written statements had been taken from students during investigations at the musollah.
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She was responding to questions from conducting officer Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari on Wednesday during the continuation of the inquest into the cause of Zara’s death.
Shaharoom said she had never seen the reports, was only told that the discipline unit met students on July 15 and interviewed them at the prayer place on July 16, and later learned of the existence of written statements through Ustaz Azharie rather than the discipline unit.
She testified that she was at the hospital at the time, the discipline unit had communicated directly with Ustaz Azharie who often liaised with police, and she was only orally informed that the Form One students and the head prefect were interviewed, including that the head prefect had met Zara on the night of July 15 regarding stolen items.
