KOTA KINABALU: A forensic psychiatrist has told the Coroner's Court here that the diary of the late Zara Qairina Mahathir indicated she had strong feelings, including hatred, against her mother and no longer wanted to live with her family.
Dr Chua Sze Hung, 43, from the Mesra Bukit Padang Hospital, Kota Kinabalu, said the contents of the diary showed repeated expressions of disdain.
"The diary reflects the deceased's perception of A2 (mother). In the diary, the deceased wrote several pages about A2. The pages describing A2 are full of abusive language.
"The page is marked Y1 to Y15. In November 2024, the deceased wrote in anger and frustration, with sarcastic marks directed at A2, whose name is mentioned later.
"She stated that she would be relieved without A2 in her thoughts. Much was written in a tone directed at A2. She also referred to A2 as a 'nuisance to others' and wished for A2's early death," Dr Chua said.
He said this when answering questions in the inquest into the death of Zara Qairina presented by lawyer Datuk Ram Singh on Thursday (April 2).
He said the diary also showed the deceased's desire to distance herself from her family and for a change of environment.
"The deceased said she was looking forward to entering boarding school because she wanted to be further away from her mother and have peace.
"She also said she would rather be bullied and lose things than be constantly scolded by her mother," he said.
Dr Chua also said the diary contained expressions of not being loved, hatred and prolonged emotional stress about the relationship with her mother.
According to him, other phrases included 'if days are like this, I'm not even mentally strong, it's better for me to just die'.
However, he stressed that this was only the deceased's perception and could not be verified.
He said that the entire contents of the diary showed the existence of psychological pain stemming from the perception of family conflict, including feelings of loss of love, broken relationships and deep anger.
He added that although there was a factor of emotional stress, it could not be concluded it was the sole factor.
"It is not accurate to attribute suicide to just one factor. It is a combination of various factors," he explained.
The inquest proceedings were adjourned on Thursday and will resume on April 13 to 17.
Zara Qairina, 13, was found unconscious on July 16, 2025, before being confirmed dead the next day at Queen Elizabeth Hospital, Kota Kinabalu.
