Anjing Gila Witness Told Inquest Zara Qairina Faced Insults In Dorm Confrontation Before Death Says Lawyer

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Lawyers involved in the inquest, including Joan Goh (right) and Shahlan Jufri (centre), seen outside the Kota Kinabalu Court Complex today. — Picture by Julia ChanKOTA KINABALU, Sept 26 — A student witness in the inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir testified today that harsh words were commonly used in their school dormitory, according to lawyer Joan Goh.
Goh, who is representing Zarah’s family in the inquest, said that the words included “bodoh” (stupid), “sial” (damned), “anjing” (dog) and “gila” (insane).
The witness said that the words were also hurled at Zara Qairina by a senior student along with “saya injak kepala ko la ni” (I’ll just step on your head) the night before she was found unconscious on the ground floor of her dormitory, according to the lawyer.
The court was told that Zara had been accused of stealing a wallet and money, but she denied the allegations even when a Malaysian flag pin belonging to the accuser was discovered in her bag.
The berating lasted about 20 minutes and was loud enough for the entire dorm to hear, the witness said, though she did not recall any death threats being made.
The witness said that at the time, Zara was seated cross-legged on the floor while several students confronted her from a standing position. Zara was said to be wearing the sports jersey that she was later found in after her fall.
The witness described the night as stormy, with heavy rain and strong winds, and said the students eventually dispersed to their rooms on the warden’s instruction.
She added that while the confrontation was heated and intimidating, Zara was not physically touched, mocked or laughed at by the seniors present.
Another witness told the court she did not notice Zara crying during the incident.
Goh said the witness testified that Zara was often linked to missing items in the dormitory or surau.
“The witness said she was told this by her friends. The Form One students had told her friends that when their belongings or money went missing, they suspected Zara of taking them,” Goh said.
Lawyer Shahlan Jufri, who is also representing Zara’s family, told the court that the witness belonged to a close-knit group of 19 students who called themselves “Circle 19”.
The witness testified that Zara had generally been cheerful and friendly, and showed no obvious signs of mental distress before the incident.
She added that she recognised Zara’s clothes from the previous night when she later saw her body lying on the ground floor after it had been moved.
The inquest is being conducted in closed proceedings, with the media barred from entering during children’s testimony. Reports are based on accounts given by lawyers.
The proceedings will continue on September 29 and 30, before resuming on October 7.
Zara died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital and was buried at the Tanjung Ubi Muslim cemetery in Sipitang the same day.
She had been admitted to the hospital a day earlier after being found unconscious near a drain at the hostel of her school, SMK Agama Tun Datu Mustapha, in Papar at 4am. - malaymail

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