Kota Kinabalu: Dr Chua Sze Hung told the Coroner’s Court on Thursday that the confrontation at a dorm involving Zara Qairina Mahathir and seniors was definitely triggering and precipitating factors on the night before Zara was found unconscious on the grounds of the SMKA Tun Mustapha’s hostel.
Dr Chua, who is attached to the Hospital Mesra Bukit Padang since 2022, said it was unlikely the suicide could have occurred in the particular morning or night if there was no confrontation in the said dorm.
The 67th deponent testified before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan, said he did not believe a suicide might happened some other time under some other circumstances under destabilising factor but it was unlikely the suicide would have occurred in the particular morning or night if there was no confrontation.
Dr Chua further said that Zara’s coping mechanisms largely involved around seeking support and interactions with her peers, writing diary and also to a certain extent Non-Suicidal Self- Injury (NSSI).
He further testified that at the night of the incident after the confrontation, he believed that she was devoid of her usual coping mechanism.
He also stated that based on the reconstruction of the alleged incident in a dorm where the deceased was confronted at the left corner of the room, multiple witnesses confirmed that they knew the interrogation.
“Immediately after that, when Zara returned to her dorm, she was in severe distress, she was crying and shouting denial. Her tears described that it was something unusual for her to do that,” he said.
Dr Chua further testified that he did not come across information that pointed towards Zara being pushed.
“At the completion of Zara’s psychological autopsy and after exhaustive interviews of 40 witnesses, there were abundance predisposing factors and precipitating factors to suicide.
“I did not come across information that pointed towards Zara being pushed and I refer to forensic pathologist documents that it is unlikely Zara has accidentally fell or being pushed.
“The presence of risk factors alone did not necessarily lead to suicide.
‘It is tempting to assign suicide to a single factor, this is human nature. Suicide rarely occurred due to a single factor, it is most of the time combination of existing vulnerability in the form of multiple risk factors and acute destabilising factors and lack of proper support and coping mechanisms,” said Dr Chua.
To a question by Deputy Public Prosecutor Mohd Fairuz Johari, Dr Chua explained that the psychological autopsy was a post mortem investigate tools used in various parts investigative capacities in various parts of the world.
“It is a retrospective process and assessment that involved exhaustive gathering of collateral information from relevant parties to review the personal and medical records or other relevant documents to answer a particular question which is the manner of death.
“More so in a situation that is equivocal, it is a retrospective reconstruction of the event, the mental state, life circumstances, personality traits and relevant risk factors,” he said.
To another question from Mohd Fairuz, Dr Chua said as the psychological autopsy, it was important to consider other alternative hypothesis of death such as an accident or third party involvement but in the case, he did not have any information to suggest that.
Dr Chua further said it has to be understood that this was a retrospective assessment and process, hence the approach was conservative.
“In the sense, that obviously I do not have the opportunity to interview the deceased directly to discover additional symptom. Hence, its is unfair for me to make diagnosis with inadequate information to fulfill the criteria of a diagnosable mental illness,” he said.
He also said that the psychological autopsy was retrospective procedure and what he meant about his finding of most consistent with suicide, was most likely than not it was a conclusion of probability.
Dr Chua also testified that he believed that one of the protective factors was Zara’s relationship with one of the seniors who important figure in her life while she idolised her values including her religious values.
The inquest continues on April 13.
