Kota Kinabalu: Zara Qairina Mahathir’s mother told the Coroner’s Court on Monday that she was worried about her daughter’s situation at the hostel but continued to trust the religious school’s administration because she was also a former student there.
Noraidah Lamat (pic), the 82nd deponent, said this when questioned by counsel Nurul Rafeeqa Afdul Mutolip about her thoughts when Zara shared her unpleasant experiences at the hostel, adding that her daughter had never told her she wanted to change schools.
Noraidah also denied another deponent’s testimony that Zara had expressed a desire to transfer schools but that she had disagreed, saying instead that Zara wanted to join the school’s religious and spiritual guidance body, known as Badar, as members were placed in a special room away from students she considered troublesome.
Earlier, Noraidah testified that Zara had complained about threats from senior students who used the term “touch-touch”, which she initially understood as inappropriate touching before Zara clarified that it referred to punching, slapping or beating.
She said she advised Zara not to walk alone and to stay with friends, while intending to raise the matter with the warden and disciplinary unit if the threats were carried out.
Noraidah also confirmed that Zara had told her about being mocked by senior students during a school gotong-royong activity in July 2025, and said she held her daughter’s hand as they walked around the school grounds so the students would know Zara had her mother’s support.
Despite sharing her experiences, Noraidah said Zara appeared cheerful and seemed proud that her mother had attended the gotong-royong activity.
