KOTA KINABALU: A security guard confirmed the existence of a banned culture known as ‘MA’ involving sessions between senior and junior students at a Papar religious school hostel.
Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, testified that she did not rule out the possibility that Form One student Zara Qairina Mahathir had been summoned to attend such a session.
The sixth witness in the inquest proceedings stated she initially did not understand the term ‘MA’ but learned its meaning from hostel students.
She explained that ‘MA’ referred to situations where seniors would summon juniors to reprimand and advise them for perceived disrespect or failure to smile when passing by.
“That was the manner in which they would counsel the younger students… telling them ‘don’t do this, don’t do that’,“ she stated during questioning by family counsel Shahlan Jufri.
Linah clarified that the practice had been prohibited and banned within the hostel environment specifically.
She emphasized that senior students were not permitted to summon junior students as they wished under the banned system.
The witness stated that any misconduct should be reported to teachers rather than handled through student-led sessions.
When asked if Zara Qairina might have been subjected to ‘MA’ due to theft accusations, Linah responded “Possibly”.
The security guard revealed she had provided statements to police seven times regarding Zara Qairina’s case.
Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan is presiding over the ongoing inquest proceedings into the student’s death.
Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel.
The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains exhumed for post-mortem on August 8 before announcing the inquest on August 13. – Bernama