Kota Kinabalu: The mother of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir told the Coroner’s Court here that she did not lodge any complaints with school authorities despite her daughter recounting multiple incidents of harassment, teasing, and theft at the hostel.
Testifying at the inquest, Noraidah Lamat said she had intended to raise the matters with the hostel warden, but the deceased pleaded with her not to intervene out of fear that the situation would escalate.
She told the court that the deceased had reported facing abusive language, negative comments on TikTok, having her money stolen, having her pail hidden, and being knocked into by a senior student.
The witness added that the deceased was also ordered by senior students to run errands, including fetching hot water to prepare instant noodles and purchasing food from the canteen.
Noraidah explained that she refrained from reporting the encounters because she maintained a positive view of the institution, noting it was her renowned former religious school and she did not believe the issues would become violent.
