NO witnesses saw how Zara Qairina Mahathir came to be found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel, and there were no CCTV cameras or security personnel patrolling the third floor that night, the Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court was told today.
Investigating officer Inspector Wong Yew Zhung said police found no individual, including security guards and hostel wardens, who had witnessed the incident on July 16, 2025.
“My observations also found that no closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras were installed in the hostel area that could provide footage of the incident,” he said while reading his written statement before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan during the inquest into Zara’s death.
Wong, the 83rd witness in the proceedings, said statements recorded from students indicated that Zara was last seen by a group of pupils at about 10pm on July 15, after several Form Four students had summoned her over an alleged theft.
“Later that night, between 10.15pm and 10.30pm, several student witnesses from dormitory A-3-5 said they saw Zara enter the dormitory crying before lying down on the floor,” he said.
At about midnight, four Form One students in the same dormitory said Zara approached them to borrow a pair of scissors, but they refused.
Between 12.10am and 12.30am, three other Form One students said they saw Zara climbing over the toilet partition wall on the third floor while looking towards them.
Wong said that at about 2.35am, a student who had woken up early to bathe went to the third-floor toilet and found the first cubicle door closed.
“When the witness tried to open it, the person inside pushed the door back. The person was seen wearing a sports shirt bearing the word ‘Hanafi’.
“The witness could not see the person’s face but said the shirt resembled the one Zara was wearing when she was found unconscious,” he said.
Zara was found unconscious on the ground floor of her school hostel on July 16, 2025, and died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital the following day.
Wong said he had informed Zara’s mother, Noraidah Lamat, on July 17 that a post-mortem examination was necessary to assist investigations into her daughter’s death.
He said he received a call from a hospital doctor at 1.35pm that day informing him of Zara’s death. The stated cause was severe traumatic brain injury with hypoxic ischaemic encephalopathy.
Wong said he subsequently met the doctor and Noraidah at the ward and explained the need for a post-mortem examination.
“While at the ward, I informed and explained to Zara’s mother that a post-mortem examination would be conducted on Zara to assist the investigation into her death.
“However, her mother replied, ‘did not want’ and refused to allow a post-mortem examination to be conducted on Zara. I explained the need for the examination again, but her mother remained firm, saying, ‘I don’t want it. I want to bury her immediately’,” he said.
According to Wong, the police did not issue form POL 61, the document used to request a post-mortem examination, because Noraidah had refused consent and the cause of death had been identified at the time.
He said Noraidah signed a declaration stating that she did not want a post-mortem examination, did not suspect any criminal element in her daughter’s death and would not seek a post-mortem report for medico-legal, insurance or other claims.
Other documents relating to death notification and funeral arrangements were also signed before the body was released to the family for burial, he said.
Wong said he later returned to his office to update the case before receiving instructions to classify Zara’s death as sudden death. He was subsequently appointed investigating officer.
He told the court that about 200 people had their statements recorded to assist the investigation, with support from officers from the Papar district police headquarters, Sabah police contingent headquarters and Sipitang district police headquarters.
Those interviewed included Zara’s family members, neighbours, former and current schoolmates, teachers, medical personnel, police officers and students from the Rabiatul Adawiyah hostel block.
Wong said people who knew Zara described her as cheerful, active, sociable and talkative, with an ability to make friends easily. She had also aspired to become a member of the school’s religious affairs body, known as the Badar.
Zara’s grave was exhumed on Aug 9, 2025, and a post-mortem examination was conducted the following day at the hospital’s forensic medicine department.
On Aug 20, 2025, five minors identified as Students A, B, C, D and E were charged in the Court for Children with using insulting words against Zara. All five pleaded not guilty.The inquest began on Sept 3, 2025, to establish the cause and circumstances of Zara’s death, including whether any criminal element was involved. - October 13, 2026