Zara Qairina Inquest Peers Testify Of Bullying Suicidal Remarks Before Hostel Tragedy

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Lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin (centre) also told reporters that the first two child witnesses told the court Zara Qairina had repeatedly expressed suicidal thoughts
KOTA KINABALU, Sept 25 —  The inquest into the death of 13-year-old Zara Qairina Mahathir heard testimonies from her peers claiming she had recently parted ways on bad terms with her mother and was intimidated by her schoolmates in the final hours before she was found unconscious on the ground floor of her hostel with fatal injuries.
Lawyer Azhier Farhan Arisin also told reporters that the first two child witnesses told the court Zara Qairina had repeatedly expressed suicidal thoughts by asking if anyone would miss her if she fell from the third floor.
“Since April 2025, Zara has repeatedly said she wanted to kill herself because she’s disappointed with her life. She said ‘Saya tidak layak untuk hidup, baik saya mati ja’ (I don’t deserve to live, I might as well just die),” Azhier quoted the second witness saying.
She said Zara Qairina said this more than ten times.
The first child witness, known as “student A” and also Zara Qairina’s best friend, also said the latter had in March expressed morbid thoughts, citing sadness from her family problems and to avoid her school bullies. 
“She had said things like ‘What if I jumped from the third floor, to the ground — what would you do?’. Student A also said she saw self-inflicted cuts on Zara Qairina’s arm — described as a ‘barcode’,” said Joan Goh who is co-counsel for Student A.
Student A also told the court that she had spent the weekend with Zara Qairina at her house in Sipitang on July 11 and 12 where she said things were tense as Zara Qairina was made to wash clothes until 2am while she was on Netflix.
“By the time she left, she was feeling tense and did not bagi salam ikhlas to her mother,” said Azhier.
The child witnesses’ are testifying in closed proceedings. Media reports come from lawyer’s accounts of the proceedings.  
Yesterday, the court also heard that Zara Qairina was surrounded by a group of her Form 1 peers who made fun of her the night before she was found and caused Zara Qairina to run away from her dormitory in tears.
Lawyer for Zara Qairina’s mother, Rizwandean M. Borhan said the court was told that Zara was surrounded and questioned by classmates over a missing wallet at about 10pm on July 15 during which she swore her innocence.
The situation escalated when other students found a flag pin belonging to a senior student and then  started hurling insults such as “bodoh” and “sial”.
She was also mocked for her aspirations of wanting to be a “badar” —  a member of Badan Dakwah dan Rohani (badar), a prefect responsible for religious duties at the school.
Both witnesses said that they did not interfere or console Zara Qairina after the incident.  
Zara Qairina was last seen at the girls’ bathroom on the third floor. Hours later about 3am, she was found unconscious on the ground floor with injuries to her legs and most fatally, her head.
She was brought to the hospital and succumbed to her injuries the next day. Police initially classified the case as sudden death, but the Attorney-General’s Chambers ordered an inquest following public pressure and questions raised by her family.
The inquest continues tomorrow with two more child witnesses expected to testify. - malaymail
* If you are lonely, distressed, or having negative thoughts, Befrienders offers free and confidential support 24 hours a day. A full list of Befrienders contact numbers and state operating hours is available here: www.befrienders.org.my/centre-in-malaysia. There are also free hotlines for young people: Talian Kasih at 15999 (24/7); Talian BuddyBear at 1800-18-2327(BEAR)(daily 12pm-12am); Mental Health Psychosocial Support Service (03-2935 9935 or 014-322 3392); and Jakim’s Family, Social and Community Care Centre (WhatsApp 0111-959 8214).

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