Mother tells Coroner her child still branded ‘killer’ despite changing schools

THE mother of Student A told the Kota Kinabalu Coroner’s Court on Monday that her child continues to face harassment and emotional distress, despite transferring to a new school following the death of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir last year.

Testifying as the 62nd witness in the inquest into Zara Qairina’s death, the woman said her child was still being subjected to accusations and name-calling by peers at the new school, including being labelled a “killer”.

“First, it happened in the classroom when my child had only been registered for a few days. A student turned around, made a facial expression and called my child a killer. That was the first incident,” she said.

“The second time was when my child went on stage to receive a prize for coming first. Some students below the stage, who were around the same age, appeared to say ‘killer’. My child did not hear it, but those around did, and friends later informed my child, saying it was like a ‘boo’,” she added while giving evidence.

The witness was responding to questions from lawyer Joan Goh, who represents Student A in the inquest. She had earlier been asked to read her prepared written statement in court.

As she read the statement, the witness became visibly emotional upon recounting how her child had been repeatedly called a “killer” following Zara Qairina’s death in July last year. She paused several times, her voice breaking as she struggled to continue.

In her testimony, she said the pressure extended beyond the school environment, with her family also subjected to intense scrutiny and harassment on social media.

She alleged that members of the public had traced her child’s identity and movements, including knowing when they returned home.

Before concluding her statement, the witness again broke down in tears, saying her child continued to be burdened by accusations and defamatory remarks.

Earlier, Joan Goh appeared in court as an interested party alongside her legal team, Datuk Ram Singh and Prem Elmer Ganasan, in the ongoing inquest proceedings. - February 2, 2026