KOTA KINABALU: The Chief Warden of Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan Agama Tun Datu Mustapha’s dormitory questioned why the mother of deceased student Zara Qairina remained silent despite her daughter’s alleged complaints about hostel problems.
Azhari Abd Sagap, who also serves as the school’s Arabic teacher, testified as the eighth witness during the ninth day of the inquest proceedings into the Form One student’s death before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan.
He expressed deep disappointment that neither Zara Qairina nor her mother Noraidah Lamat had formally reported any bullying allegations to the school administration before the tragedy.
“The story about ‘Kak M’ started last May based on the school’s investigation, yet why didn’t Zara Qairina’s mother lodge any report with the school,“ he questioned during his emotional testimony.
Azhari revealed that the victim’s mother never raised any bullying concerns during their meeting at the hospital emergency unit following the incident.
The school only became aware of the bullying allegations after the victim’s mother posted about them on TikTok following her daughter’s death.
Visibly emotional throughout his testimony, Azhari recalled teaching Zara Qairina in Arabic class and remembering specific details about her compliance with school dress code requirements.
Zara Qairina, a 13-year-old Form One student, died at Queen Elizabeth Hospital on July 17 after being found unconscious in a drain near her school dormitory in Papar.
The Attorney General’s Chambers ordered both the exhumation of her remains for a post-mortem on August 8 and an inquest into her death on August 13 after reviewing police investigation reports. – Bernama