Kota Kinabalu: Zara Qairina Mahathir was an all-rounded student and deeply engaged in school life, the Coroner’s Court heard here, Tuesday.
Zara’s former primary school teacher, Nurain Jabah, testified that she last met Zara in May 2025 and described her as a healthy and happy-go-lucky girl.
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Fighting back tears, the 63 deponent said she was deeply affected upon learning of what had happened to Zara, with whom she shared a close bond when Zara was her student.
“I could not imagine my feelings when I know what had happened to Zara. We were very close when Zara was my student.
“Initially, I could not accept it because we had planned to visit Zara at the hospital after we finished our school function.
“Then Zara’s aunty informed us that Zara had passed away. I was sad. I never expected her to end up like that,” she said.
The court was told that during their final meeting, Zara went to school to meet the deponent and said she was doing well in secondary school.
The deponent said she reminded Zara to pray and respect her teachers, adding that Zara told her she was not bullied, that everything was fine and that her friends treated her well.
She also described Zara as a talkative student who would openly share her problems, including misunderstandings with friends, and seek advice on how to resolve them.
In response to a question from counsel Shahlan Jufri, the deponent said Zara was very close to her mother, Noraidah Lamat, who regularly sent and picked her up from school.
The deponent further testified that Zara often volunteered for school activities such as storytelling, reciting the Holy Al-Quran and singing nasyid.
“Zara was chosen for storytelling up to the district level, and I was the one who trained her,” she said.
Meanwhile, another former teacher of Zara, Nur Hidayah Mohamad, said she had known Zara since childhood (through family ties) and also knew her professionally as a student from Year 1 to Year 6.
The 64 deponent described Zara as a friendly and cheerful student who liked helping her peers and often guided other pupils facing minor problems to seek help from teachers.
She said Zara had a good relationship with her teachers, respected authority, and displayed a positive, affectionate nature at school.
She also said Zara’s mother was highly involved in school matters, and their mother-daughter bond was strong.
The coroner court has decided to postponed the previously scheduled “locus in quo” school visit this Friday after discussion with all the relevant parties.
The inquest will resume after the month of Ramadan, on March 31.
