KOTA KINABALU: The security guard on duty the night Zara Qairina Mahathir was found unconscious testified that the senior student who discovered her claimed to have woken early to do laundry.
Linah Mansoding @ Jaliha, 65, stated the student reported waking early because she feared there would be a long queue for the laundry facilities.
Testifying on the seventh day of the inquest into the teenager’s death, Linah was questioned by Joan Goh, counsel representing a teenager accused of bullying the deceased.
Linah recounted that at 3 am, the student said she heard a sound like something falling while preparing to wash clothes.
Questioned by Nurul Rafiqah Afdul Mutolip, counsel representing Zara Qairina’s father, Linah said she had never seen the senior student washing clothes at 2.00 am.
The mother of four stated that hostel students typically washed their clothes around 10.00 pm after evening preparatory class.
Nurul Rafiqah asked whether it was common for students to be walking in the hostel grounds around 2.00 am.
Linah responded that at 2.00 am it was very rare as students were usually asleep by then.
When asked if students ever washed clothes at 2.00 am, Linah simply answered “Never.”
The inquest proceedings before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan will resume next Wednesday, Sept 17.
Zara Qairina died on July 17 at Queen Elizabeth Hospital after being found unconscious in a drain near her school hostel in Papar at 4 am.
The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered her remains to be exhumed for a post-mortem on Aug 8 before announcing an inquest into her death on Aug 13. – Bernama