KOTA KINABALU: The late Zara Qairina Mahathir's mother was worried about her daughter's safety at the hostel but still trusted the religious school's administration.
Noraidah Lamat told the Coroner's Court that she trusted the school because she had been a student there herself.
She was responding to a question from lawyer Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip about what had gone through her mind when Zara Qairina shared unpleasant experiences she had encountered at the hostel.
To another question, Noraidah said Zara Qairina had never told her she wanted a transfer to another school.
"Zara never told me that she wanted a transfer to another school," she said.
Instead, Noraidah said Zara Qairina had expressed an interest in holding a position at the school, particularly as a prefect in the religious and spiritual affairs body.
She said Zara Qairina wanted the position because students holding such posts would be accommodated in a designated room, as she was afraid of sharing a room with bad students.
Earlier, Noraidah told the court that Zara Qairina had complained about threats from senior students who used the term "touch-touch."
"At first, I thought 'touch-touch' referred to inappropriate touching. But when I asked her to explain, she told me it meant punching, hitting or slapping.
"I could tell that she was frightened. I advised her not to walk alone and to ensure that the students (who troubled her) were not near her,'" she said.
Noraidah said she had initially tried to reassure Zara Qairina that the senior students would not dare carry out their threats.
However, she said that if they did, she intended to report the matter to the wardens and subsequently to the school's disciplinary unit.
Noraidah also confirmed that Zara Qairina had told her about being mocked by senior students when she attended a gotong-royong programme at the school in July 2025.
She said Zara Qairina had pointed out the senior students who mocked her as they walked around the school grounds.
"As we walked, I held Zara's hand so they would know that she had a mother and that they should not mistreat her," she said.
Despite telling her mother about the alleged teasing, Noraidah said her daughter appeared cheerful and seemed proud that she had attended the gotong-royong programme.
Zara Qairina was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school hostel on July 16, 2025. She was pronounced dead the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
Her remains were exhumed on Aug 9, 2025, for a post-mortem examination at the Forensic Medicine Department of Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
On Aug 20, 2025, five minors, identified by the pseudonyms Students A, B, C, D and E, were charged in the Court for Children with insulting Zara Qairina. All five pleaded not guilty.
The inquest began on Sept 3, 2025, to establish the cause and circumstances leading to Zara Qairina's death, including whether any criminal elements were involved.
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