A religious teacher told the inquest her last meeting with Zara Qairina was two months before the student’s death, where she said she was happy and not being bullied.
KOTA KINABALU: A religious teacher has described her final meeting with Zara Qairina Mahathir about two months before the student’s death.
Nur Ain Jabah, the 63rd witness at the Coroner’s Court, said the meeting occurred in May 2025 during school holidays. She testified that she asked Zara Qairina about her situation at her new secondary school.
“She told me everything was fine, that her friends were all kind and that no one was bullying her,” Nur Ain said before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan. She said Zara Qairina stated she was happy at her new school.
Nur Ain said that was the last time she met the deceased. She had taught and known Zara Qairina from 2023 to 2024 at Sekolah Agama Negeri Kampung Naluyan in Sipitang.
The witness described their close teacher-student relationship during that period. She said she advised Zara Qairina to perform prayers consistently and respect her teachers.
Nur Ain added she told the deceased not to keep problems to herself. She informed Zara Qairina she was always ready to listen should she face any difficulties.
The teacher described Zara Qairina as a student who liked to help teachers and was active in co-curricular activities. She said the deceased would often seek teachers’ advice over minor misunderstandings with friends.
Nur Ain also told the court she had been aware of a ‘barcode’ self-harm trend on TikTok involving several students. She said this included Zara Qairina when the deceased was in Year Five.
The witness said teachers addressed the matter and it did not recur after advice was given. She said she felt deeply saddened upon hearing of Zara Qairina’s death on July 17, 2025.
Nur Ain said she and other teachers had planned to visit Zara Qairina at the hospital that day. They received shocking news of the deceased’s passing after a school event.
Meanwhile, the 64th witness, headmistress Nur Hidayah Mohamad, described Zara Qairina as a cheerful and sociable student. She said the deceased had no disciplinary record throughout her time at the religious school.
Nur Hidayah, who has served as headmistress since 2014, said she had known Zara Qairina since infancy. She stated the deceased was related to her and was a student from age six.
According to her, Zara Qairina often helped other pupils during her six years of schooling. She added the deceased consistently ranked among the top 10 academically.
Nur Hidayah said Zara Qairina was active in co-curricular activities, particularly storytelling competitions. She described the deceased as having a very close relationship with teachers and classmates.
Zara Qairina, 13, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17, 2025. She was found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel a day earlier.
The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered an exhumation for a post-mortem on Aug 8, 2025. It then ordered an inquest on Aug 13 after reviewing the police investigation report.
The inquest proceedings will resume on March 31. A scheduled locus in quo visit to the scene at the SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha hostel has been postponed.
