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KOTA KINABALU – The 81st witness told the Coroner's Court that she was uncomfortable and unhappy during the seven months she lived with her stepmother, who is the mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir.
Malianah said she lived with Noraidah Lamat from 2011 until June 2012.
“Throughout the time I lived with my stepmother, she pretended to like me. When my father was at home, my stepmother would treat me well.
“But when my father went out to work as a driver, my stepmother would change and start disliking me,” she said while reading her witness statement at the Coroner's Court here today.
Malianah also recounted an incident when she was in Year Five while living with Noraidah.
“My father had asked my stepmother to pick me up after school at about 11am. However, my stepmother did not come to pick me up until the afternoon, and an uncle eventually sent me home.
“When I arrived home, I saw my stepmother lying down while reading a novel. When she saw me, she simply continued reading. She did not appear concerned about my safety even though I was only in Year Five at the time, and did not follow my father's instructions.
“By the time I arrived home, I was already tired and it was too late for me to attend KAFA classes, so I did not have the energy to go. I decided not to attend.
“That night, my stepmother told my father that I was too lazy to attend KAFA classes and had skipped them. My father then scolded me because of what she had told him, even though I was only tired because she had failed to pick me up. I did not skip school intentionally,” she said.
Malianah added that her stepmother would only cook for herself when her father was not at home.
“I had to cook for myself, wash my own clothes, including my school uniform, and prepare my own school supplies.
“However, when my father was at home, my stepmother would help me with all those things, including teaching me how to do my schoolwork. She would pretend and act as though she liked me.
“My stepmother also liked using abusive and harsh language, such as ‘You're stupid’, ‘You're stupid! That's why your mother and father don't take care of you!’ and ‘Your father rarely comes home because he doesn't like you’.
“She also often told me that my biological mother did not want to take care of me because she wanted to ‘enjoy’ herself and had another man.
“Throughout the time I lived with my stepmother, I suffered emotional distress because of her behaviour and words. At the time, I was still a primary school student but was treated that way.
“I could not take it anymore and asked my father to send me back to my biological mother's home,” she said.
