KOTA KINABALU: A warden of SMKA Tun Datu Mustapha told the coroner that CCTV cameras were installed at the school hostel after Zara Qairina Mahathir’s death.
Yuslina Badrum said during Friday’s inquest that she agreed with earlier suggestions that surveillance could help prevent similar incidents, although she was no longer aware of the exact camera locations.
She said the school had done its best to safeguard students and described Zara’s case as something that happened “early in the morning” and beyond the staff’s control.
Yuslina also confirmed reading pages from Zara’s diary, saying the writings suggested vaping, emotional distress, and references to sharp objects, though she did not inform the girl’s parents.
She added that the diary was handed to the police and maintained that some of Zara’s expressions, including the phrase “pergi mati,” might have been her way of writing rather than a clear indication of intent.
