Mother of Student A alleges harassment by late Zara Qairina's mother

 

The mother of Student A, one of five pupils charged with insulting the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, told the Coroner’s Court that she was allegedly harassed by Zara’s mother via WhatsApp over a police statement. — NSTP FILE PIC

KOTA KINABALU: The mother of Student A, one of five pupils charged with insulting the late Zara Qairina Mahathir, told the Coroner's Court that she was allegedly harassed by Zara's mother via WhatsApp over a police statement.

The 42-year-old witness said Noraidah Lamat allegedly instructed her to deny Student A's statement to the police and to contact the investigating officer directly.

"Zara's mother sent me WhatsApp messages scolding me for allowing Student A to tell the truth to the police. She also instructed us to deny the statement and told me to contact the officer personally," the witness said while reading her statement before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan today.

According to the witness, the messages included allegations that Student A's statement had been twisted, that the police were colluding with the school principal, and demands that the statement be denied.

She added that Zara's mother questioned the authenticity of diary entries, including the offensive words allegedly written by Zara, and claimed that forensic verification showed the handwriting was not hers.

The witness further alleged that Noraidah accused the school of fabricating evidence, claimed Student A was acting under school instructions, and forbade the pupil from visiting Zara's grave.

"I informed the investigating officer and Ustaz Azhari about the harassment," she said, adding that a police report had been lodged requesting an investigation into Zara's mother.

Earlier, the witness recounted learning of the incident on July 16, 2025, at around 8.39am, when another student's mother contacted her via WhatsApp.

She also said she reached out to Noraidah to check on her wellbeing, advising her to remain calm, patient, and careful while driving, and suggested reciting selawat and istighfar to ease her distress.

"I was surprised but impressed by her composure. Her voice was calm when I asked if it was true that Zara had fallen from the building. At times it sounded sad, but she did not wail. I called her repeatedly, almost every hour, because I was concerned about her driving alone from Sipitang to Kota Kinabalu. She arrived at the hospital later than expected, likely due to driving slowly and heavy traffic," she said.

Zara Qairina, 13, was found unconscious at the SMKA TDM hostel on July 16, 2025, and died the following day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital.

On Aug 20, 2025, five students, including Student A, whose identity is protected under the Children's Act, pleaded not guilty at the Court for Children to a charge of insulting Zara. The case is ongoing. - NST