THE Coroner’s Court here heard on Thursday that Zara Qairina Mahathir’s mother was not prepared to receive visitors when the school principal, a state assemblyman and several others came to see her daughter at the hospital.
Noraidah Lamat, 46, said the group, including the politician she identified as YB Arifin Arif, visited Zara at the neuro ward on the 10th floor at about 10pm.
She said she was surprised by the visit as she was grieving and had not been prepared for the group’s arrival.
“It was at 10pm at the Neurology Ward when too many people came, including the school principal and the YB, as well as other people.
“I was made to understand that there was a convention involving school principals that day, so they came there and there were too many visitors.
“I was not ready at that time because I was in a sad condition,” Noraidah said.
She further testified that the group took photographs during the visit before leaving.
Noraidah said she later saw photographs of the visit circulating on Facebook and TikTok.
She was testifying as the 82nd witness before Coroner Amir Shah Amir Hassan during the inquest into the death of the 13-year-old student.
Earlier, Noraidah said Zara was transferred from the emergency ward to the neuro ward at around 6pm after a doctor asked whether any other family members wanted to visit her.
She said she told the doctor that her sister-in-law, who was travelling from Kuala Lumpur, wanted to see Zara.
Another doctor, whom she identified as Dr Hariz, then informed her that Zara would be transferred to the 10th-floor neuro ward.
“He told me, ‘Alright, if that is the case, we will transfer your daughter to the 10th floor, the neuro ward.’ He said they would call me while I waited outside the emergency ward,” she said.
Noraidah said she was later contacted by a doctor at nearly 6pm and asked to wait at the far end of the lift lobby as Zara was about to be transferred to the neuro ward.
“After that, we went up together to the neuro ward, the 10th floor. That was where Zara was placed,” she said.
When asked whether any doctor had explained why Zara was transferred to the neuro ward, Noraidah said no doctor spoke to her after Zara was placed in the ward.
She said she stayed alone with Zara in the ward until nightfall, while her aunt returned home to Lokawi and the teachers and wardens returned to their respective homes.
Noraidah said a doctor had earlier told her that Zara had been sedated and placed on respiratory support and heart-monitoring equipment. “I am not familiar with the hospital equipment. That was what the doctor told me,” she said.
