A former head warden testified that a student surrendered a package containing the late Zara Qairina’s notes on the day she died, with the items later passed to police.
KOTA KINABALU: A former school head warden told a coroner’s court that a student surrendered a plastic package containing the late Zara Qairina Mahathir’s notes.
The 31-year-old ex-warden, Azhari Abd Sagap, said the student gave the package to dorm warden Syukriah Fauzi on the day Zara Qairina died.
Syukriah then passed it to him before he subsequently handed everything to the police.
“Everything in that plastic bag was from the student, who had received it from Zara Qairina,” Azhari said while answering questions from lawyer Shahlan Jufri.
Azhari said he never met the student in person but had contacted her to ask when the items were given.
The student could not recall the exact date.
He also told the court he received Zara Qairina’s two earliest diaries on July 17, 2025, following a school meeting.
Those diaries, along with images from two pages discussed at the meeting, were also handed to police.
The inquest into the 13-year-old’s death was ordered last August after her remains were exhumed for a post-mortem.
She had died in hospital a day after being found unconscious near a drain at her school hostel in Papar.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri informed the media that several child witnesses would be recalled to testify.
New witnesses, including a teacher, would also be called.
The inquest proceedings will resume in camera tomorrow as they involve child witnesses.
