KOTA KINABALU: Just hours before going back to her school hostel, Zara Qairina Mahathir made French toast for her parents.
Little did they know that it would be the last meal she would ever cook for them.
With teary eyes, Zara’s mother, Ustazah Noraidah Lamat, recalled how her 13-year-old daughter, their only child, behaved differently that day.
Zara had come home for the weekend, as she often did since choosing to live in the school dormitory in February.
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Noraidah, who teaches at a local primary school, said her daughter told her, "Mama, I’ll go back late on Sunday."
This puzzled her, as students were expected to return before the 3.30pm hostel curfew.
“I normally drive her back at around 11am, so we would arrive between 1pm and 2pm. But that day, she insisted on going back later. I reminded her to obey the hostel rules,” said the 45-year-old.
Zara, a Form One student at a fully residential school in Papar, was found unconscious beneath her dormitory block at around 3am on Wednesday (July 16), with severe injuries.
She was rushed to Queen Elizabeth Hospital in Kota Kinabalu but was pronounced dead the following night.
Speaking from her home in Kampung Kalamauh, Mesapol, about 141km from here, Noraidah said Zara had never made any specific complaints about the school.
However, they had previously talked about the social environment at the school, which Noraidah believes warrants further attention from the authorities.
She declined to comment further but expressed hope that the case would be investigated transparently and fairly, with nothing concealed.
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“I have gone to the police station twice to give my full cooperation. I cannot say more, as the investigation is ongoing,” she said.
Noraidah shared that Zara’s decision to stay in the hostel was entirely her own.
Inspired by her mother’s experience in a hostel, Zara wanted to become more independent, just like her peers.
“She admired me and often imagined how exciting hostel life would be. She frequently said she wanted to be a badar (a member of the school’s religious and spiritual committee).
“Zara moved into the hostel on Feb 18. I missed her terribly. My heart was never at ease. But I respected her decision and her wish to stand on her own two feet,” said Noraidah.
In the month leading up to her death, Zara had repeatedly asked her mother to make her favourite dessert, kuih batik, to share with her friends.
“She asked for it several times. I made a large batch and divided it into three containers, one for her, one for her friends, and one for her roommates,” said Noraidah, wiping away tears.
Although devastated by the loss, she said she has found peace in believing that her daughter passed away while pursuing her dreams and aspirations.
On Sunday (July 19), Noraidah received a visit from the Ziarah Rahmah outreach programme, led by Sabah Science, Technology and Innovation Minister Datuk Dr Mohd Arifin Mohd Arif and Yayasan Sabah Director Datuk Seri Gulamhaidar Khan Bahadar.
The tragedy has been widely discussed on social media, with netizens calling for action from both state and federal leaders, while allegations of bullying have been raised.
Police are still investigating the incident.
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Sabah, Papar, Student, Death, Dormitory, Zara Qairina Mahathir, Mother, Noraidah Lamat, Hostel, Investigation, Police
