Kota Kinabalu: Zara Qairina Mahathir’s stepsister told the Coroner’s Court on Tuesday that her stepmother repeatedly made remarks that affected her during childhood, including calling her an “illegitimate child”.
The 81st deponent, Malianah Mahathir, 25, said her stepmother, Noraidah Lamat, also frequently told her that her father did not like her and made remarks about her biological mother.
She was answering questions from Conducting Officer Mohamad Fairuz Johari when asked what she remembered about the way Noraidah treated her.
Fairuz: Based on your own experience, what do you remember most about the way Noraidah treated you when you were a child?Malianah: She often told me that I was an illegitimate child that my father did not like me, and she would also make remarks about my biological mother.
Fairuz: You stated that you did not feel comfortable and were not happy. Can you explain to the court why you felt that way?Malianah: Because I felt that my stepmother did not like me.
Fairuz: At that time, you were still in school, correct?Malianah: Correct.
Fairuz: Do you remember what year you were in at that time?Malianah: Yes, Year Four.
Fairuz: Usually, who would be at home with you when your father went out to work?Malianah: My stepmother.
Fairuz: How long and how often would your father go out to work?Malianah: Frequently, five to six days a week.
Fairuz: Was your father’s work schedule fixed or did it change?Malianah: It changed.
Fairuz: At that time, what was your school schedule and who took care of your schooling needs?Malianah: I attended school in the morning. I managed some things myself, while some were helped by Mama Zara.
Fairuz: So, there were times when your father was away working and Mama Zara also helped with your schooling arrangements?Malianah: Yes, for example, picking me up from school and sending me to school.
In response to a question, Malianah said that throughout the period she stayed with her stepmother, their relationship was not good.
Fairuz: How was your relationship with Noraidah throughout that period?Malianah: Not good.
Fairuz: Can you explain further what you mean by not good? Malianah: She often spoke badly about my biological mother.
Fairuz: You stated that Noraidah treated you differently when your father was at home. Can you explain to the court what the difference was?Malianah: She was nice when my father was around, but when my father was not around, she would hurt my feelings with harsh words.
Fairuz: Apart from what you have described in the paragraphs of your witness statement, was there any other incident that was particularly clear and that you still remember?Malianah: No. I only remember what I have described because those were the only things that affected me.
Fairuz: Did you ever tell your father about the difference in treatment?Malianah: After I left Mama Zara’s house.
Fairuz: What did you tell your father?Malianah: I did not like Mama Zara.
Fairuz: Apart from your father, did you ever tell any other family members about the matter?Malianah: Yes, my biological mother’s family.
Fairuz: What was their reaction?Malianah: They felt sorry for me, and there were also several occasions when I had arguments with Mama Zara and they intervened.
Fairuz: What did you argue with Mama Zara about?Malianah: Mostly about Baba.
According to Malianah, when her father was not at home, she had to manage her food, clothing and school preparations herself, and this happened repeatedly.
She also said that when her stepmother spoke harshly to her, she felt hurt, and when her stepmother spoke about her biological mother, it made her question whether what her stepmother said was true.
According to Malianah, the remarks by her stepmother affected her feelings towards herself and her family because what her stepmother said made her wonder whether her biological mother hated her.
“Her words also made me wonder whether my biological mother really did the things she said, and made me hate my own biological mother.
“I once told my biological mother about it, and she was shocked and said, ‘How could Mama Zara accuse me of such things?’” she said.
The inquest continues today (Wednesday).
