Kota Kinabalu: The Coroner’s Court heard that the Discipline Unit of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha did not inform the school principal about written statements recorded during the internal investigation into the incident involving Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Principal Shaharoom Hashim told Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan that the discipline unit only informed her verbally about a report on July 16, 2025, on the morning of July 17.
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However, she was never informed about written statements taken from students following the internal investigation conducted at the prayer room (musollah).
Shaharoom was responding to questions from conducting officer Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari on Wednesday during the continuation of the inquest to determine the cause of Zara’s death.
Fairuz: The discipline unit informed us that the reports on July 16 and 17 were prepared promptly. Were you aware of those reports?
Shaharoom: I was verbally informed about the report on July 16, 2025 early in the morning of July 17.
Fairuz: Have you ever seen those reports?
Shaharoom: I have never seen those reports.
Fairuz: You know that what happened to Zara is a serious matter. Do you know that written statements from students were taken by the discipline unit at the musollah?
Shaharoom: I was only informed that the discipline unit met with the students involved on July 15, whom they called to the musollah on July 16.
Fairuz: Regarding the investigation carried out on July 16, were you aware of the written statements made by the students during the investigation?
Shaharoom: As for written statements, that was not conveyed to me. They only gave me a verbal report. It was not conveyed to me in writing, which means I did not read any written statements because they only provided a verbal report.
Fairuz: As a school administrator, why didn’t you ask to see or examine the reports or the students’ written statements?
Shaharoom: I was informed that morning that students gave their statements verbally.
Fairuz: So, does that mean the school’s discipline unit never informed you, as the principal that they had taken written statements from students on July 16, 2025?
Shaharoom: They did not inform me in writing about what was taken from the students.
Fairuz: Were you aware of the written statements made by students B, C, D, E, and another student on July 16, 2025?
Shaharoom: I was informed about those written statements by Ustaz Azharie.
Fairuz: Meaning the information came from Ustaz Azharie and not from the discipline unit?
Shaharoom: Yes.
When asked why the discipline unit did not inform her, as principal, about the important written statements by students, Shaharoom said that she was at the hospital at the time and that the unit had communicated directly with Ustaz Azharie, who is often contacted by the police when they require information about the school.
She added that maybe because she was not around at that time, they did not tell her about the documents and also the police investigation had started at that time.
In response to another question from Fairuz, Shaharoom said that the Penolong Kanan Hal Ehwal Murid (HEM) did not inform her that written statements had been taken from students.
She further testified that she was only informed about the investigation conducted at the prayer room and that students had been interviewed.
Regarding July 17, 2025, Shaharoom told the coroner that she was only aware that the discipline unit had interviewed Form One students and the Ketua Dorm.
She said she was informed orally that the Ketua Dorm had met Zara on the night of July 15 in connection with stolen items.
